Justice War
by David Golightly
Summary: Ares, the God of War, has gathered a multitude of heroes and villains to fight for a purpose that only he knows. This was originally hosted at DC Infinity, a group fanfic site. Now completed!
1. Chapter 1

CHAPTER ONE

_In the world of knowledge the idea of the good appears last of all, and is seen only with effort._

_-Socrates

* * *

_

"You call yourself a god. You do not know what a god truly is."

A gentle breeze washed over the fallen form of a strangely attired man. His apparel was nothing like what one would find in the world of man, its fabric and design made to mimic an entirely different culture and history. Unlike the majority of his brethren, the being called Metron had never been the sort to allow physical prowess to maintain his ideals. He looked up from where he had been forced to kneel at the man who had so easily vanquished him.

"To be a god is to literally be power itself," the man explained as he hovered over Metron. "You and your pathetic race of New Gods are a disgrace to the definition of godhood. How arrogant are you to play such a fanciful game?"

Metron held his tongue back from replying. He had trouble taking his eyes away from the item that his attacker had so triumphantly liberated from his grasp. The gentle breeze continued to casually drift against him, but the general atmosphere of the cosmos was not casting it. There in the void of space, beyond the realm of known reality, the pair sat in dark seclusion on top of a lone slab of solid matter that Metron's attacker had created. Raw and unbridled energy wafted from the parcel Metron stared at longingly, its radiance and countenance making it impossible to pull his eyes away from.

The object was somehow comprised of several moving pieces, each of them swirling and sliding within one another flawlessly. Its gray color was distorted by the invisible pulsing of energy as its new wielder tapped into its almost limitless power. His blonde hair glowed as his aura changed, a side effect of mixing his mystic power with the object's cosmic jurisdiction.

"This," the man said, gesturing to the object in his hand. "You wish to have this returned to you? Realize that you are now but a pawn in my scheme, a trivial piece to be moved about as I see fit. You call yourself a god…you will rue the day you ever dared utter the term and replace the self worth you possess with loyalty to me, a true god."

Then, in a brilliant flash of light, both Metron and his captor were gone to leave the void hollow once more.

* * *

DCI Proudly Presents

JUSTICE WAR

#1 Written by D. Golightly

* * *

Something was wrong.

Superman, the most respected hero on the planet, cringed at the site of the Earth below him. It looked like his adopted home, it even smelled like it. But something was definitely wrong. He had come to know every contour of its jagged mountains, every splash of its soothing waters, and every puff of its soft clouds.

His red cape fluttered behind him, the last few stray rays of sunlight catching between its folds. The light cast a darker hue onto his deep blue costume, accentuating the solid build he had known since his early youth. Men and women alike had looked up to the ideals he personified. Ironically, he was more humble than most of the people that idolized him.

Among the many heroes of the world, he was considered the greatest. They held him to a higher standard than the others, a burden that he often wished would fall on someone else. He was not a god, he was not even all that special. He considered himself a regular person with the ability to help others.

Somewhere in the stratosphere, Superman came to the conclusion that the Earth below him was not the same planet he had woken up on this morning. He noticed how exact the planet's orbit was and how detailed its features were, but the lack of life made it impossible to think that this Earth was his Earth. He realized that someone or something had either moved him or the entire population of the globe without leaving any trace of their presence.

Entire cities had been emptied out. He could hear several heartbeats, even from the great height at which he floated, but they were few and far between. The colder and thinner air of the upper atmosphere clung to him the way the tide would at a beach. Having already held his breath for several minutes, Superman finally decided it was time to find someone who would know what was going on. Picking out one lone heartbeat from among the scattered few, his cringe turned to a smile as he suddenly rocketed for the planet's surface.

There was one person who would have some answers. He always did.

* * *

A crusade born from a single night of bad luck, the vengeance that had been wrought down upon the cowardly criminal lot of the back allies thought themselves victims of some ugly vendetta. They were both right and wrong. Right because the man who sought justice through their defeat had indeed singled them out. Wrong because the crusade was so much more than one man, one victim, one criminal.

He moved between the shadows, a lone wolf in search of his next meal. The dark shades of his costume allowed him to blend into the darkness like a natural predator. Over the years he had come to know kindred spirits in his ongoing war, but he always moved best when he hunting alone. They understood him perfectly and rarely argued with his decision to work in solitude. The night was his true home, and having an ally by his side sometimes allowed a piece of daylight to slip through, keeping him from falling off of the chasm's edge. In his world he dealt with insanity on a daily basis.

For the night stalker known as Batman, the crusade would never be over.

Gotham was his city. Those that dared to perpetrate some indecency would be made well aware of his presence. Not the largest city in the country, Gotham still retained a population on par with that of Metropolis or Chicago. Every single citizen was automatically under his protection, lest they cross the line and take matters into their own hands. He respected the law but he respected justice more. Often times the line was blurred but he would never tolerate renegade activity in his city. The crusade was not to be taken up by innocents.

The few that had managed to come close to him and were allowed into his world understood this, too. They had tried to support him and lend him aid, but in the end it always boiled down to the same thing: they did what they did because he allowed them. He had given his former partners and acquaintances permission to operate in his city and carry on with a portion of his crusade. Resentment always soon followed whenever one of them came to that realization, but it didn't matter. Batman was usually right.

On this night, however, his crusade was pointless. There was no activity, no alarm, no emergency. There was nothing. The entire city had been completely emptied of every form of higher life.

The tip of his raised arm glistened slightly in the moonlight. With a soft sounding spring, the end of his grapple line shot out and plunged itself into the side of the next building. Batman quickly pulled the line taught and leapt out into the open air, yanking hard on the line to pull himself away from the roof's edge.

With practiced precision, bordering on perfection, Batman swung low onto another rooftop and flipped the switch to cut his line. He dropped onto the concrete roof of the Gotham City First National Bank and somersaulted forward, breaking into a run as soon as his feet were firmly planted. The maneuver would have made the most seasoned Olympic athlete green with envy. Upon reaching the edge of that roof, he paused, tilting his head slightly to listen.

"I was wondering how long it would take for you to show up," he said.

Superman slowly drifted down beside his longtime friend and confidant, allowing his powers to lower him gently to the rooftop a few yards away from Batman. He stared at the back of the vigilante's head, accustomed to the feeling of broken privacy that came with approaching the Dark Knight.

"I have super-hearing," Superman replied, "and there's no way I would have heard myself coming. You'll have to tell me how you do that sometime."

"Hh," was all Batman said in response. He respected Superman like most others, although he was always sure to not let the attitude slip. There were few people in existence that he allowed close to him, and the Man of Steel was one of them.

"Any idea what's going on?" Superman asked. They rarely exchanged pleasantries, especially when there was a crisis in effect. "As near as I can determine there are only a few dozen people on the entire planet. I see Gotham has been affected like every other city. Think we're caught up in some type of fallout from the destruction Superboy caused throughout the universe?"

"Either that or we've been teleported to an exact copy of Earth," Batman answered. "The fact that you and I were apparently chosen suggests that this situation wasn't random or happenstance."

"You mean we've been singled out."

"Unless there's some other type of connection between us and whoever else has been left behind, that's exactly what I mean."

Superman crossed his bugling arms over his broad chest. "My list of enemies isn't exactly a short one. I could name several off the top of my head that have the power to do this, and none of them bring a smile to my face."

"With the dysfunction of the League we're in desperate need of allies. We need to find out who else is here and why." Batman finally turned with a sweep of his cape to face Superman, his face still rigid and his eyes blank. The Man of Steel held a steady gaze with Batman, something that few people were capable of. "My own list of enemies may be able to pull something of this magnitude off if their resources were limitless. It's not bringing a smile to my face either."

"Nothing brings a smile to your face."

Batman ignored the comment, turning back around to face the vacant city beneath him. The situation presented a problem at a level he wasn't always prepared for. He had partaken in his fair share of cosmic abnormalities, especially as a member of the Justice League, but with the last crisis dissolving most of the relationships of his former teammates he couldn't rely on the past. The League as he had come to know it was gone, replaced by a mockery of honor that allowed elements just as bad as the villains they went after into its folds.

"There's one other thing we need to take into account," Batman said over his shoulder. "Do you retain any short-term memory beyond the last few hours?"

Superman blinked. Searching his mind he realized that the Dark Knight was correct in his implication. "No, I'm drawing a blank. The last thing I vividly remember is…I'm not even sure."

"I gave up the cape, Clark," Batman stated. "I shouldn't be here, not like this. I don't even know how I got to Gotham. I know that I've left the city in capable hands…but for the life of me I cannot remember how or why. I still feel the same conviction and passion that I've always held, yet for some reason I know that wearing this costume right now isn't what I had intended for myself. It's as if whoever did this has access to our personal lives, which means he or she isn't targeting Superman and Batman, they're targeting Clark Kent and Bruce Wayne."

Some called him paranoid, others called him prepared. For all of his planning and preparation, Batman had never anticipated something of this magnitude. It made him feel small and insignificant as he stared into an empty city that seemed like a hollow version of his own soul.

"Then our first step is obvious," Superman said. "We need to rally the troops and see who we've got."

"You said there were a few dozen left," Batman pointed out. "Who do we start with?"

"The only other person I would look for if you weren't available. I'm sure she's just as anxious to get to the bottom of this as we are."

* * *

Warrior's blood ran through her veins, a ferocity that few could match on the battlefield. At the same time her attacks were graceful and coordinated, like a ballet. The magical strength of the gods flowed within her every movement, allowing each kick and punch to be strong enough to shatter a brick wall. Power such as hers had a tendency to corrupt, but when part of her life had been spent as the Goddess of Truth she quickly learned to respect the power and not let it overwhelm her.

Princess Diana, the famed Wonder Woman, ducked underneath the massive arms of her foe and countered the attack with a swift uppercut that sent her enemy flying head over heels. He landed a dozen feet away with a loud crunch as his head slammed into a pile of rocks lying haphazardly at the foot of the mountain they fought in front of.

The golden breastplate adorning her torso reflected the face of her attacker. Her strength was on par with Superman's but she seldom relied on brute force alone. Given her current state of confusion and the sudden attempt on her life, however, Wonder Woman had to resort to ending the conflict as quickly as possible in order to decipher the larger problem. That meant knocking him unconscious and going from there.

Of course, that would prove more difficult than it would seem.

"I'll grind your bones under my boots!" the General roared in defiance.

The oversized giant bellowed a wordless battle cry as he scooped up some of the rocks in his massive hand and flung them at Wonder Woman. The stones were all as large as her head and flying with deadly intent. Utilizing her great speed, another gift from her godly benefactors, Diana deflected most of the rocks with her unbreakable bracelets. Their momentum absorbed, the stones fell back to the ground.

Wonder Woman took to the air, pushing off of the dirt ground with a small jump. Reasoning that if she simply floated beyond the giant's reach for a time she could collect her thoughts and try to figure out exactly what she had been thrown into.

"Get your skinny little ass down here!" General Wade Eiling roared. "My orders are to crush the life out of you and that's damn well what I plan on doing."

She spun slowly in the air, ignoring the General's wanton cries of near hysteria. She couldn't remember how she had gotten way out into the middle of nowhere. In fact, she wasn't even sure where nowhere was. The sprawling landscape was vacant except for sand, a few bushes, and the overlooking mountain. There no landmarks, no populated areas she could see…she had no clue to help her make sense of things.

The last thing she could recall was being attacked by the General. His bulk and sheer strength had easily overthrown her at first, until she had gained some leverage to get the upper hand. He was one of the League's deadliest foes, having barreled through them with ease on at least two occasions that she was aware of. Why he was stuck in the middle of nowhere with him she had no idea. All she had were questions without answers.

He was under orders? Whose?

Stabbing pain racked her upper body as the General slammed into her in midair. She scolded herself for getting lost in thought and not flying high enough. The General had leapt from the ground after picking himself up, and now he had her in a choke hold as they fell back down to terra firma.

"First I'm going to rip your neck out," the General threatened over the noise of the rushing wind around them, "sort of like what you did to Max Lord. Then I'm going to—"

The elbow Wonder Woman had thrust into the General's throat was enough to close his mouth. He spit out a few specks of blood onto her shoulder and loosened his grip around her neck. Twisting away from him, Wonder Woman swapped places with the General as they fell, making sure he was directly under her.

"This is going to hurt," she told him. "A lot."

She poured on the speed, pushing the General down faster and faster toward the ground. They impacted in less than a second, traveling at roughly half the speed of sound. All of the pressure she had added to the fall made the resulting damage increase exponentially, all of thrust directly onto the General's spine.

Diana back flipped out of the crater, landing quaintly on the tips of her feet. She hadn't even broken a sweat yet…but neither had the General. In fact, she could hear his bones reforming and snapping back into place from where she stood. His almost limitless regenerative powers made him practically immortal, and his boundless strength and ferocity made him a veritable force of nature.

"Need a hand?" a voice called down from somewhere above her.

Wonder Woman raised a hand to block the sun out of her eyes. The last timeframe she could remember was at night, but she didn't know if she was now on the other side of the planet of if she had simply been knocked out for at least twelve hours. Regardless, the scorching sun threw its rays down on her, casting a bulky silhouette by way of the lowering figures.

She smiled at the sight of them. Superman lowered himself and Batman, clutching the Man of Steel's arm, softly to the ground in juxtaposition to Superman's amazing abilities. She paused a moment as the obvious humility that came with watching Superman descend washed over her.

"I wouldn't slap it away if you offered it," she replied. "Good to see you."

Batman merely nodded as Superman returned the smile. The three of them had been appointed endless tasks together in the defense of their planet, each time always seeming worse than the last. It was hard to be worried from a foe like the General when the three of them were together.

"Don't mind me," Batman stated as he slipped something out of his utility belt. "You'll have to excuse me if I don't take the time to greet you."

Batman's hand slapped the air in front of him and twin sparks of light suddenly burst forth. The smallest amount of effort had been exerted on his part, but all the same the two batarangs he had just thrown were heading for their exact mark.

The General managed to place one foot outside of the crater before the batarangs struck his upper torso, imbedding themselves deep into his flesh. The blinking lights on each instrument began to blink faster and faster as the General focused his attention on them, unsure of what to do. Before he could react, the weapons exploded, tearing out chunks of his synthetic skin and muscle tissue. Shaken, he toppled back from the explosions, falling over back into the crater.

"You never take the time to banter," Wonder Woman said almost casually.

"He never takes the time to enjoy anything," Superman responded as he took to the air.

The Man of Steel abruptly changed his trajectory and slammed down into the crater on top of General Eiling. Usually he held back during a fight for fear of killing his enemies, but the General was no normal enemy. Again and again Superman pounded the General, exerting enough force to render an entire mountain range into rubble. With each blow they fell deeper in the Earth as dirt and rock were pushed out from under them from Superman's raining fists.

The General, with his regenerative powers nearly at their limits, managed to angle one of his massive legs underneath Superman. With one giant kick he sent the Man of Steel up and back out of the crater, the wind expelled from his lungs.

"Ha!" the General scoffed as he jumped out of the hole. "Haven't you idiots figured it out yet? Win or lose, you're going to die. Better to get knocked down now then to waste your time swimming upstream."

"What's he blathering about?" Batman asked as he readied two more batarangs in one hand and a powerful taser in the other.

"He has some kind of insight into what's going on, I'm guessing," Diana replied. "Of course, like a typical bad guy, he's being cryptic about it."

Air washed over the pair of heroes as Superman rejoined the battle, flying high over them and driving his fists into the General's chest. Eiling tottered back once more but refused to go down. The General was the immovable object to Superman's unstoppable force. Faster than he looked, the General caught Superman off guard and landed a right haymaker across his face, knocking spittle out of his slighted mouth.

"You've had this coming for a long time, alien," the General said as he gripped Superman's skull within his gigantic fist.

The thin golden lasso easily slipped over the General's other hand. An unusual weapon, Wonder Woman had perfected its use through years of intense training rivaling that of Batman's extensive career. She pulled hard on the lasso, choking the General's wrist and cutting off his circulation.

"Oh, please," the villain said mockingly. "Like some little rope is supposed to stop me."

"No," Batman retorted, "but maybe this will."

The Dark Knight leapt over the front of the General, sweeping his cape over Eiling's face. Spinning in midair, Batman landed square on Eiling's back and pulled back on the ends of his own cape, effectively masking the General in total darkness. Holding the cape in place with one hand, Batman stabbed his two batarangs into the General's shoulders, a wire now protruding from the weapons up into the taser he held in his remaining hand.

Batman kicked off of the General's head and mashed on the little red button on the taser. Several thousand volts of electricity began coursing through the General's nervous system, threatening to fry his internal organs.

The General couldn't help but let go of Superman as the electricity forced his muscles to spasm out of control. Once Superman was free, Wonder Woman yanked back once more on the golden lasso and shot up into the air. The General, like a marionette puppet, began to rise with her as a result of being pulled by the lasso.

The taser's battery finally died out as smoke billowed from his body. His organs began to immediately repair themselves and he started to laugh a deep, resonant uttering of evil triumph. He knew that no matter what they did to him, he would be able to recover. It was only a matter of time before he defeated them.

"Laugh this off," Wonder Woman said.

She spun in the air, quickly gaining momentum. The General helplessly whipped around her on the end of the lasso, his own bulk adding to his velocity. By the time she reached twenty revolutions she abruptly changed the General's trajectory and whipped him straight for an outcropping of rock bulging from the side of the mountain. He crashed into the rock formation, instantly decimating it into a fine powder of slagged chips.

Wonder Woman landed beside the other two heroes, concern still showing on her face. "Are you okay, Clark?" she asked her friend.

"Fine," Superman replied. "But that won't finish him off. We need to move quickly before—"

_Perhaps I can be of assistance_, a voice echoed around them.

Another silhouette fell over them as they heard the General scream in defiance of his own defeat. The cloaked figure floated down from the air toward their common enemy, his hands outstretched toward the General.

J'onn J'onzz, the Manhunter from Mars, furrowed his brow in concentration. His alien eyes, while seemingly distant and distracted, focused intently on the General…or, more accurately, the General's mind. His voice hadn't echoed within the great, wide open landscape of the desert, but rather within each of their collective minds. As the General stood up amongst the rubble of the mountainside, J'onn cautiously floated nearby.

_You would stand down_, J'onn thought at the monster, _or I will_ put_ you down_.

"What?" the General remarked. "Another alien threatening me? Get out of my head you little—"

J'onn's eyes glowed a brilliant yellow as he exerted his mental powers over the General. The eerie hue emitting from his eyes splashed against his green skin, turning it a strange shade of orange. Having been trained to use telepathy as a weapon, J'onn easily cut through any feeble mental barriers the General had in place and simply shut the villain down. Locating the exact area of Eiling's mind that allowed for motor function, the Martian Manhunter commanded certain synapses to stop firing with the General's brain. The General's eyes rolled into the back of his head as he slumped to his knees and fell face first into the soil, unconscious.

The light simmered and faded away from the Martian's eyes as he descended to join his former teammates. If there was ever a being that made their trio a quartet, it was J'onn J'onzz. Superman actually saw Batman's shoulders relax slightly at the sight of their approaching friend, an act that in and of itself deemed the situation under control.

"Thank you," Superman said as he extended his hand to J'onn. "It's been awhile. Glad to have you back with us."

"Our time for pleasantries must be cut short," J'onn replied, making sure to use his actual voice this time. He knew of Batman's particular distaste for invading someone's mind, even with something as simple as telepathy. "We must collect the General and leave immediately."

"J'onn, what's going on?" Wonder Woman asked eagerly.

"Later," the Martian replied. "I'll answer your questions as best I can, but for now we must retire and meet the others. Time is short."

* * *

"Time is no longer infinite," the impossibly perfect man stated. "My brother has disrupted the flow of the timestream to seek his own justification. We must act!"

"And what would you have us do?" a second figure stated, his beard reaching down to his knees. "The Quintessence, by all rights, no longer exists, yet here we stand. Do you see fit to alter the course of humanity now that we are part of this universe once more? Our very inception goes against that!"

The two titans stared at one another while their three companions looked on into the vast cosmos. The five figures, each of them unimaginably powerful in their own regard, had championed few causes over the centuries. With all their power they believed that they had no right to interfere lest they cause more damage then what has already been done.

The smallest of them, a blue-skinned creature adorned in a brilliant red rode, finally broke the silence. "Our agents will have to solve this on their own. We cannot disrupt the timestream any more than Ares already has. To do so could be disastrous."

"I hear you speak of possibilities," the first man, an ancient god of thunder and lightning, shot back. "My brother cares not for these mortals. Are you so conceited that you would stand by and do nothing? Where is your courage and rage?"

The fourth merely waved his hand in annoyance, content to let his obvious disdain for the situation speak for him. His robes were brightly colored and in his hand he held aloft a golden staff, with which he had sought to prevail mightily over a Fourth World. In time, the role of leadership had taken its toll and he was no longer as vengeful as his other compatriot.

"I expect as much from you, Highfather," the mighty Zeus replied, turning his attention to their fifth and last member. "But what of you? You, even in the presence of our company, still withhold vital information. I say thee nay!"

The last figure tipped his head forward, allowing the dark fedora upon his head to cover the majority of his face. From within the folds of his cloak his arms moved, parting the apparel just enough for the other four member of the Quintessence to see the unending power housed within his person.

"Ganthet is correct," he said. "It is not our place to become involved. However, regardless of the possible damage to the various realities that comprise this multiverse we exist in, there may be an opportunity to strike back. Until that moment, my brethren, we must now and forever more remain…strangers."

* * *

TO BE CONTINUED!


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER TWO

_I proclaim that justice is nothing else than the interests of the stronger. _

_-Thrasymachus

* * *

_

"You're saying that we're the only heroes left on the face of the Earth?"

The group collectively turned to look at the young woman who had spoken. She felt slightly out of place as they stared at her, but knew that she was among friends and acquaintances. She had fought beside many of them and knew that she could trust them. Some might think her blurting their current predicament out loud uncouth, but it had been her experience that the problem needed to be defined and then solved.

"Heroes, yes," J'onn J'onzz, the Martian Manhunter, replied solemnly. "But there are others on the surface of this world. People that we are all too familiar with."

The young woman, Courtney Whitmore, who had spoken out of turn let out a soft sigh. She had been referred to by her older piers as "their younger counter-part" and she imagined that her obvious lack of comfort was what they all felt. Growing up as the Star-Spangled Kid had allowed her to gain valuable esteem and experience by standing beside the legendary heroes of the Justice Society of America, but that rarely made things any easier. Now with more battles under her belt, and a new codename of Stargirl, she felt a little easier about talking out of turn.

At least she was among friends. The table they sat around had gone unused for years, or at least it looked like it. There, deep inside a cave resting in Happy Harbor, Rhode Island, the last remaining heroes of Earth sat in conference to decide their next move. She had been there before, of course, but never under such heinous pretenses. The stark walls of the former Justice League base no longer held the luster they once did during the team's golden years. Computer equipment, for a time maintained by a group of younger heroes trying to meet their mentors' standards, sat powerless and covered in dust. It was like time had swept the cove under the rug while everything else had pleasantly moved on.

"The General made some interesting comments before you came along, J'onn," the Man of Steel himself said. Stargirl focused her attention on him, amazement in her eyes as she watched the greatest hero in history stand to his full height. Superman placed his hands down on the large oval table and leaned forward, addressing the group as a whole.

"Not that we trust anything he says," Superman continued, "but it's all we have to go on for the moment. We need to figure out what we're up against and that means answering some key questions."

"The first being why we're here," the masked Batman added. Courtney had rarely seen the mysterious vigilante so close, but was more than aware of his capabilities. She noted the amount of respect everyone gave him, regardless of the fact that he was the only one among them that had refused to sit at the table. In fact, every time she had encountered the Dark Knight he had seemed removed from the others, as if he was more comfortable working from behind the scenes.

"The General may be able to answer that, but for the moment he's being sedated in the prison ward on level three," Superman replied. "But, you're right. Our top priority needs to be finding out why the twelve of us were left behind while the rest of the population has been removed from the face of the Earth."

"Along with some of the most vicious villains we've ever encountered," Wonder Woman said as she stood up beside Superman. "Hera help us, but we may be in for the fight of our lives."

* * *

DCI Proudly Presents

JUSTICE WAR

#2 Written by D. Golightly

* * *

The darkness that consumed him was not a totally unfamiliar feeling. He had once been imprisoned against his will by one of the rare forces in the universe that was stronger than him. Angst filled his every subtle mannerism as he tried to pull himself free from whatever power contained his rage and might. Sightless bonds held his appendages in place as even light was unable to escape the immediate area. He struggled for a time until fatigue set in, a fact that should never be possible. 

For just as there are certain laws that hold this universe together, so also is the commanding will of Darkseid.

The supposed ruler of chaos once more relaxed his being until he was prepared to fight his bonds again. He had no way of knowing how long he had been struggling, nor did he care. Whoever was able to capture the mighty Darkseid was obviously not to be taken lightly, therefore the enslaver of Apokolips deemed it fruitful to ponder the situation.

Scant memories floated through his thoughts of a great battle in deep space where the wretched Son of Krypton had finally overcome him. The Source Wall, that last gate between this reality and the next, had served as his tomb until circumstances allowed him to escape.

But if that had come to pass, then how was it that the great subjugator of wills had become imprisoned again? Darkseid's anger grew from the realization that his own memories were not to be trusted. Not only was his jailer powerful enough to isolate and contain him, but apparently that same entity was able to overcome the complex workings of his insightful mind.

Was his captor the same one who had freed him? Where was the great Source now? Had Highfather somehow been involved?

_Do you wish to be freed, honorable Darkseid?_ a voice suddenly said from somewhere in the void.

"And who would dare to address Darkseid in such a way?" the titan replied, his voice colder than the deepest grave. The lack of air in the dark realm did little to halt the will of Darkseid.

_What is in a name?_ the voice replied mockingly. _There are those who believe that a name holds ultimate power over that person. For ilk such as our own, Darkseid, I would almost believe such a frivolity. Bad poetry aside, I have the power to free you and will do so if you perform a task for me._

"For one who speaks so lightly to a god," Darkseid announced, "you are either impressively courageous or arrogantly contemptuous. You would dare utter the semblance of binding my will to yours? Show yourself, jailer, and face the wrath of Darkseid!"

A wave of invisible force slammed against Darkseid, knocking his head back. His dark and rigid skin, so much like stone in its appearance, felt the buzzing of unique energy wash over him. The rest of his body shuddered but remained bound by whatever strange energies held him in place. As Darkseid righted his head the blinding power of the Omega Effect that was his to command flashed menacingly across his pupils. A deep rooted anger blanketed all emotion and snuffed out any civility the god might have shown.

Strength that would shift entire continents pressed against the unknown bonds around his appendages. The gray skin beneath his dark, blue tunic threatened to crack open from the amount of pressure he exerted, his unbridled fury matching that of his estranged son. The bonds shifted and somehow adjusted to his onslaught of pressure, succeeding in holding the evil god in place.

_I would have thought you almost broken by now_, the voice said. _I was wrong to think the ruler of Apokolips would be so easily weakened. I have others ready to do my bidding, but I knew that in order to gain your allegiance I would have to take more…drastic measures. I assume that my underestimate is an insult to you, but currently I am not concerned with your well being. What I _am_ interested in would also please you, I'm sure._

Darkseid took a moment to regain his composure before replying, allowing his demeanor to reform. "There is nothing you could offer me that would gain my servitude. Whatever task you wish performed will be denied."

_Ah, but I possess that which you desire more than even the destruction of your enemies._

Against the pressing judgment that had enabled him to conquer an entire race, Darkseid paused. He knew of what his nameless jailer was implying. It was something he had come dangerously close to possessing, something that would enable him to fulfill his innermost goals.

"The Anti-Life Equation."

_Precisely. I have recently acquired an item that allows me powers of vision, powers to see that which was and that which will be. I can easily pluck your heart's desire, black as it may be, from the far future and place it in your hands here in the present._

"And you will simply hand over the precious Equation upon completion of some task?" Darkseid queried. "For what reason should I believe such a thing? No one would be so foolish to give up power of that magnitude."

_That power will eventually be yours, my friend. I would merely twist the folds of time to make it occur earlier than anticipated._

Darkseid pondered his jailer's proposition. As much as it disgusted him to admit it, he was at this entity's mercy. There was no level of trust on his part, but his options at the moment were limited. It would not be the first time mighty Darkseid would have to align himself with an ally, but it would be the most humiliating. He never would bow before another, but since the chance to attain his ultimate goal was now within reach then he would stifle his rage…for the moment.

"And what is the price for my freedom and the Equation?"

_Only a task that would seem simple for one such as you_, the voice replied, a touch of demonic glee lacing the words.

The invisible bonds that held Darkseid in place suddenly melted back into the emptiness of the void, disappearing as if they had never existed. Darkseid floated freely, his arms tired from the harsh exertion he had placed on them. The flashing energy within his eyes similarly died down, a motion on his part to invite his jailer to appear without repercussions.

Then, just as the last bit of invisible force left the dark arena, a bright light cut through the darkness and opened a gateway for Darkseid to enter. The lord of Apokolips gritted his teeth and floated forward toward the breech, making sure to withhold his anger at the obvious silent command from his new benefactor.

_Honorable Darkseid_, the voice said as he entered the light. _I only wish for you to lead a horde of evil intent and squash our opposers as you would a mere insect. Then will I grant you the power you seek.

* * *

_

"It's nice to see a familiar face down here," Courtney said.

Her blonde hair whipped over her shoulder as she tilted her head back to watch the older man walk toward her. Like so many of her teammates in the Society told her, she was like a daughter or niece to most of them. She knew that it was only a formality on their part, a nice sentiment laid out to keep the resemblance of a family. All the same, they were one of the premiere fighting forces on the planet and it was rare for them to honestly feel like blood relatives.

"Right back at you, kiddo," Jay Garrick replied.

Even though she would never tell him, Jay Garrick, the Golden Age Flash, felt like a grandfather to her. For some reason she felt like he understood her better than the others, at times sincerely feeling like a long lost member of her family like they all tried to act as. Perhaps it was because Jay had worked with younger heroes many times over the years, training them and even acting as their legal guardian.

"How are you holding up?" Jay asked as his feet fell into sync with hers.

"Okay, I guess. I thought I would take a walk while the big guns had their little planning party. Explore a little."

"Me, too," he replied, smiling. Jay's aged features betrayed the youthful mannerisms he displayed, possibly a side effect of having been melded to an extra-dimensional power source for most of his life. "I'm afraid they don't have much use for me up there. Enjoying the JLA's old stomping grounds?"

"For a place that they left behind," Courtney replied, "it's pretty sweet. I can see why J'onn wanted to gather everyone here."

"With the moon base and the satellite both out of commission, this seemed like the best choice. I just wish I could have come back here under better circumstances."

The pair walked in silence, their footsteps the only sound bouncing off the stainless steel walls on the second sublevel. They passed several rooms mainly used for housing guests, each furnished with the basics required to stay comfortably. The dust was still thick in some places, reminding Courtney of just how long it had been since this base had seen action.

Her thoughts trailed to what action might come their way. The General alone was cause for alarm, and if the other villains spread throughout the planet were as menacing, then Wonder Woman had been right in her assumption. Regardless of the titanic forces on their side, they would all be in for a brawl big enough to take some of them down for good.

"You'll get wrinkles worse than mine if you keep worrying so much, kiddo."

Courtney blinked and turned to look at Jay without breaking stride. "Am I that transparent?"

Jay casually shrugged. "Not really. I'm just that good."

"It's just that we have no idea why we're here," Stargirl began, "and the bad guys haven't shown their hands yet. I mean, why bother bringing us here if you're just going to sit in silence while we wonder what's going on? It doesn't make any sense. Whoever did this has enough power to pull one over on a dozen of the world's heroes, and yet they don't make a move."

"I think the General may have acted out of turn."

Courtney had a puzzled look splashed across her face as she pondered her teammate's words. "Like he was disobeying orders? Doesn't sound like something a guy named the General would do."

"I had a few run-ins with General Eiling before he pilfered that synthetic body of his," Jay explained. "Eiling's not the kind of guy to take orders, he's the one to give them. Whatever show we're in for, Eiling was just the opening act. I doubt whoever set us up here intended for him to come after us so soon."

"But why even wait? Why not transport us into the middle of the sun or be done with it?"

Jay smiled again. "Don't know, kiddo. I expect we'll be finding out soon enough."

"Yeah, right. Perfect. At least our mystery villain was gracious enough to send me here with my cosmic rod. I'm not exactly useless without it, but I wouldn't be much help, either. I can't imagine being stranded here without any powers—"

Courtney caught herself and tossed a look over at Jay. She stalled in mid stride, causing her teammate to do the same. He returned her look, although his was one of slight confusion and curiosity.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Oh, uh, hey I'm really sorry, Jay. That crack about being useless without powers was just stupid. I didn't mean it."

His look of confusion spread over the rest of his face as he tilted his head to one side. "Kiddo, you really aren't making an ounce of sense. Who's powerless?"

"Um…you are?"

A torrent of wind whipped across Courtney's face, blowing her hair back off her shoulder. Jay was suddenly gone, as if carried away by the gust of wind, and she found herself alone in the corridor. A tinge of panic set in as she wondered if they storm Jay had alluded to had finally come without warning.

"I may be old," Jay suddenly said from behind her, "but I'm a long ways from powerless, young lady."

She turned to see Jay standing behind her, leaning against the wall. The silver hat atop his head was tilted slightly, adding to the smug look of satisfaction he stared her down with. "And I can still run rings around you ankle biters."

Courtney blinked for a second time. "Wow. I must have missed the announcement. Last I heard you had been powered down thanks to the last Crisis. Is the Speed Force back?"

"The what?"

Before Courtney could open her mouth to respond and admit her deepened puzzlement, a blaring alarm pierced the hallways and reverberated off of the stainless steel walls. Courtney looked up and down the corridor and saw that a few of the others had popped their heads out of their rooms to see what was happening. Red lights flickered on and off at both ends of the hallway, telling them that this situation was dire and they needed to regroup immediately. Meeting Jay's gaze, she knew their conversation would have to continue later.

The Golden Age Flash and Stargirl took off back down the hallway, racing for the ground floor to find out what the emergency was. Courtney found herself praying that whatever storm they were about to face would be broken by their combined efforts.

* * *

"Barda, Jay, and J'onn are with me!" Superman ordered as he began to float over the cove's entrance. "The rest follow Diana! Hit them hard and take them down fast!" 

Stargirl hefted her cosmic rod, its radiance cascading over her red, white, and blue costume. Her facemask was fashioned in such a way that the sun wouldn't blind her while she flew high above the clouds, but even the brightness of the that star was little in comparison to the power the cosmic rod commanded. Courtney began to float herself, quickly gaining speed in order to follow the Amazon warrior into battle.

Superman and his three chosen allies rushed away from the stalwart base deep within Happy Harbor, their faces clear of all self-doubt. Courtney remembered why she admired each of them as she fell into the impromptu formation beside Wonder Woman, readying herself in a similar fashion.

Jay's speed had allowed him to get to the conference room first, but she hadn't been far behind him. They only had a few moments to be briefed of the emergency before Superman had ordered them all outside in preparation for the battle. Apparently the base's long-range sensors had picked up a sudden burst of energy just outside the cove, the energy signature matching certain records housed within the fortress. The alarm had been triggered instantly, an automatic response set in place long ago by the original Justice League. They had been called to action, whether they were ready or not.

All they knew was that the base's computers had identified the energy as belonging to Star Sapphire, an arch-foe of the Green Lantern Hal Jordan. Courtney saw the brilliant purple light on the other side of the cove, but had no way of knowing which of the women to play host to the Sapphire was controlling it. Along with Star Sapphire the sensors had shown several other life forms present, six in all. It seemed as though the fight had been brought to them.

"Hal, transport Vic," Diana said over her shoulder. Her eyes never left the purple energy on the other side of the cove. "When we flank them from the right side, plant him as close as you can to the front line. Superman and the others will slice in from the left. We'll dive in from above and try to wedge a divide between whoever is over there."

Courtney chanced a quick look back at Hal Jordan. The cool, green plasma of his aura covered his body, holding him aloft a few meters behind herself and Wonder Woman. He was regarded as a man without fear and a hero without question. Knowing that Star Sapphire was somehow involved must have struck him in a way the others could only imagine. He nodded in understanding to the Amazon's orders and pointed his green ring down at the ground below.

Emerald energy poured out of the ring, quickly forming into a translucent green orb that surrounded the waiting hero underneath them. Out of their original dozen, four had been left behind to guard the base, and their prisoner, just in case the sudden appearance of their enemies would prove a diversion. Vic Stone, the former Teen Titan known as Cyborg, waved a hand up at them.

"Don't slosh me around too much," Cyborg called up. "Most of my body has been replaced by cybernetics, but my stomach is all there. I tend to get air sick."

"Don't worry," Green Lantern replied, "I won't whip you around. Much."

The bubble began to rise as Green Lantern floated forward, falling into place on the other side of Wonder Woman. "Shall we?" he asked casually.

Wonder Woman grasped the golden lasso strung around her waste, yanking taut its length between her hands. The warrior's pride that consumed her soul rose up, steadying her breathing and tensing her muscles. Courtney noticed the change in character that overcame her as Diana prepared herself for battle.

Courtney had watched in horror along with the rest of the planet when Wonder Woman had snapped the neck of an enemy. Maxwell Lord, once a propagator of the League's fundamental causes, had betrayed them all and forced Diana's hand. Wonder Woman's visage had eternally been smudged, but even the death of Maxwell Lord and the public astonishment that had come with it hadn't stopped her from doing what was needed of her. Courtney couldn't help but admire that, hoping that she could mimic the obvious strength her fellow woman displayed.

"Hera give me strength," she heard Wonder Woman say. "Like Superman said, hit them hard and take them down fast."

"The faster the better," Courtney added.

Following Wonder Woman's lead, the trio rocketed off across the cove toward their gathered enemies, Cyborg in tow. Stargirl grasped her cosmic rod and wondered if the previous bearer had placed too much trust in it, wishing that Hera would share some of Wonder Woman's strength with the rest of them.

* * *

_Do you see how they frolic in the battlefield, Darkseid?_ the voice said. _They run rampantly into the fray without a second thought. Now you see why my plan will work wondrously, and how you will eventually be paid your price as per our deal._

Darkseid, glad to be free once more of imprisonment, but disgusted at his allegiance to an unknown entity, merely nodded. He watched the battle unfold below him as the two miniscule but powerful contingents clashed together. From his perch on the upper atmosphere he was witness to the first step in the scheme he had been pulled into. Even the mighty Darkseid found himself admitting privately that the possibilities for success were all but guaranteed.

_It's all for naught, however. I have seen it. This battle will do little for either side. Still, the joy rests not in the ends, but in the means. Don't you agree?_

"You know of what joy I seek," Darkseid finally said. "You said I was to lead and then the Equation would be placed in my hands. I've had enough of your riddles, jailer. Show yourself!"

Dark wisps of banded smoke subtly manifested before Darkseid. The tyrant overlord remained impassive, his arms crossed over his barreled chest. The smoke slowly coalesced into a humanoid figure, etching out a man's features between rings of the dark substance. His short, blonde hair accented his otherwise nebulous appearance. He was tall, nearly as tall as Darkseid himself, and attired in a stylish gray suit. He flashed a mouthful of brilliant white teeth at the god in a devious grin, somehow appearing more arrogant than friendly.

"Does this please you?" the man asked. He pulled gently at the cuffs of his suit coat, adjusting the custom fit of his clothing. "It is rare that I appear so…human."

"Who are you that you appear so bold in the face of a god?"

"God?" the man responded. "Godhood is such an easily attributed thing these days. Oh, not to slight you, of course. I merely mean to state that a position of such relevance can be attained…and _removed_."

The blonde man waved his hands in a simple gesture, which suddenly racked Darkseid in pain similar to that from his imprisonment. "I am your god now, Darkseid. You will do as I say and then I shall grace you with your payment."

The confining pain fizzled away, leaving Darkseid clutching his chest. His eyes flashed momentarily before returning to their normal blank state. He viewed the man with such contempt, yet was unable to strike back. He knew his day would come to overthrow this upstart, but until he had more information and opportunity, such as the power of the Equation, he would bide his time and take the punishment.

"Now," the man continued, "as to the question of your guidance. You will lead, honorable Darkseid. As I said this battle below is but a single step in my plan. In retrospect I should have begun this way, but the imbeciles couldn't wait for their own rewards. Understandable, though. All will be explained in due time. Time, of course, is something I now have in abundance."

Space itself seemed to unfold at another gesture made by the blonde man, bending and twisting to create a small pocket. He reached inside the impossible, pulling out an object that Darkseid had only heard rumors of before. The ruler of Apokolips looked on as the man slipped his fingers inside the swirling device, sliding the pieces of it back and forth in a specific series of movements.

"I shall remove us from this point in time and deposit us after the battle," the man said. "By then my strength will have increased and you shall be in the perfect position to take over."

Space contorted once more, engulfing both of them inside a larger pocket of torn reality. Once they were swallowed up the pocket flattened back to normal as if nothing had ever happened. Darkseid watched as the process completed itself, finally realizing that even he was at the mercy of this madman.

* * *

TO BE CONTINUED!


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER THREE

_The greater the difficulty, the more the glory in surmounting it._

_-Epicurus

* * *

_

"This is ridiculous."

The former king of Atlantis was not used to having extended patience. While his spirit did not possess the rousing warrior's blood of some of his compatriots, he was seldom pleased to stand by and wait while a battle raged nearby. As a born leader, Aquaman needed to take charge of a situation and do what was needed. Standing idly by was not something he took pleasure in.

"You know as well as I do that it would be unwise to leave our only refuge unprotected," the Batman stated from across the room. "Especially when we have a prisoner like the General."

Aquaman shot a look at the containment cell imbedded within the far wall. The synthetic body that General Wade Eiling had taken for himself used to be housed at the bottom of the ocean, deep inside a cavern that Aquaman had sealed himself. He was well aware of the beast's capabilities and knew that the Dark Knight was right.

Sighing gently, Aquaman crossed his strong arms over his chest and tried to relax. Their prisoner was unconscious and eight of their number had gone outside to confront the trespassers. With Superman, the Martian Manhunter, and Green Lantern as part of the defense force the former king knew they didn't have much to worry about. Still, he would rather have taken a more active role in the battle.

His adoptive human name of Arthur Curry had brought about softer personality characteristics over the years, but at his core he was still a king, as passionate about justice as he ever was.

"They left the best of us behind, if you ask me," Robin said, drawing Arthur's attention. He hadn't worked as extensively with the Batman's young apprentices as he had with the Dark Knight himself, but he knew that Bruce Wayne's judgment was usually correct. The teenager's blazing red and black uniform had become as much a symbol of purity as Batman's cowl had become one of fear.

Aquaman smirked, thankful that at the very least the company he had been left with was trustworthy. At least, two out of the three were. Batman and Robin were legendary in their skills, and just as dependable, but the fourth member to their quartet remained a mystery to the former king.

A man wrapped in what appeared to be bandages stood far removed from the rest of them, his distance seemingly greater than even Batman's. Arthur had met men dressed similar to him before, but there was something different about this person. He had no way of knowing the man's true identity as the bandages covered all the features of his face, leaving only a small area for his eyes to peer through. The bandages seemed to be wrapped around his entire body, slipping underneath the dark and faded costume he wore beneath a trenchcoat.

Mysteries were more commonplace in Aquaman's world then most, but the presence of the strange Negative Man left him curious as to just what was in store for them all.

* * *

DCI Proudly Presents

JUSTICE WAR

#3 Written by D. Golightly

* * *

"Contain them quickly!" Superman ordered. "This needs to end before it can begin!"

The Man of Steel, followed in close pursuit by J'onn J'onzz, Big Barda, and the Golden Age Flash, swept down through the sky toward his target. More precisely, his _group_ of targets. Star Sapphire's luminescence had triggered their alarms, as she along with six others waited patiently for the battle to come to them. Superman's abilities were vast, but at the moment his telescopic vision was the most valuable as it enabled him to get a closer look at what was lying in wait for the heroes.

The purple energy of Star Sapphire's trademark jewel radiated around the gathered villains, blanketing each of them in its soft glow. The menacing features of all seven foes seemed somehow boosted by their rallying, the sight of which alarmed Superman. Not only were he and the other heroes taken by surprise at their daunting situation, but the pleased looks on the villains' faces implied that they knew exactly what they were doing.

Superman's ears perked as by way of his superior hearing he heard one of the villains, the super-gorilla named Grodd, bellow in defiance of the heroes' approach. As tended to happen with all battelcries, the other villains took Grodd's audible as a call to arms. Each villain launched an attack, picking and choosing the incoming heroes as they would a quail during a hunt.

Grodd, the first to act, aimed a large metallic rifle at Superman and squeezed the trigger as his roar continued. The energy blast harmlessly dissipated upon hitting him, but Superman quickly realized that the most obvious attack wasn't what Grodd had intended. Images and thoughts forced their way into Superman's mind, distracting and disorienting him. The gorilla's patented force of mind powers mentally assaulted the Man of Steel as the blasts from Grodd's disrupter rifle continued to berate him, keeping him from getting any closer to the villains. Superman's flight path wavered as he gripped his forehead and tried to concentrate, struggling to find a way to break out of Grodd's mental manipulations.

"Superman!" Jay Garrick, the Golden Age Flash, said as he sped by underneath.

"He'll be fine," the feminine Apokolitan warrior named Big Barda responded. "He _is_ Superman. Concentrate on your own safety."

Barda rocketed by over both Jay and Superman, her flight granted by the twin aero-disks under each of her feet. She gritted her teeth as she prepared for battle, hesitation and caution absent from her actions. Her past was wrought with many extraordinary conflicts and the challenge was before her yet again. Garbed in her traditional warrior armor, Barda swung in low and extended her Mega Rod, arming its concussive force capabilities to strike quickly and efficiently.

A looming figure suddenly rose in front of her, towering over all of them. Barda pulled up short in her flight, angling the aero-disks to steady her position in the air. She gazed on in wonder as the giant woman blocking her only seemed to grow larger, her head blotting out the sun. Her shadow covered Barda, along with most everything else.

"I've heard of you," the giantess said. "You're called Big Something, right? You don't look so big to me."

Barda saw the lumbering arm coming at her, but wasn't quite fast enough to dodge it. The villain called Giganta slapped Big Barda out of the air the way a child would a mosquito. Barda crashed into the ground, impacting with enough force to create a small crater. Giganta smirked as she gently laughed at the simplicity of taking her opponent down, hoping that Grodd had noticed her triumph.

"Let's see you try that with someone who can keep up with you!"

Giganta looked down to see a blur of red and blue swirling around her feet. From her height it looked like some crazed rodent was zipping around her, feebly trying some inane tactic to peck at her toes. She started to crouch down, attempting to grab at the hero racing circles around her, but found a strong gale force wind suddenly blasting into her face.

As Jay Garrick had learned long ago, speed was not only a powerful tool in reconnaissance, but a malleable weapon as well. When used properly, superhuman speed could become one of the most versatile powers imaginable. Creating whirlwind vortexes was just one of the ways to topple a giantess, to which Jay inwardly smiled as he recalled many similar battles throughout his long career as one of the world's defenders.

Surpassing even the highest records that the military had recorded from whatever aircraft they had pieced together to go faster into the unknown, the Golden Age Flash broke the sound barrier and would have broken it again if there was a second layer. Funneling all of the wind up into Giganta's face would prove a nice distraction, and might even succeed in knocking her over, but Jay knew that they had to play hardball with this group. Shoving the big bully over in the playground wasn't going to cut it here.

"What are you—oh, no…" Giganta muttered as she watched the elder Flash helplessly.

Jay shifted his momentum and abruptly pivoted on one foot, completely changing his direction by a hundred and eighty degrees. As he retraced his footsteps and ran at superspeed in the opposite direction, still circling Giganta, the swirling vortex of wind suddenly changed directions with him. The blasts of wind that had been slamming into the woman's face were now being sucked away like a riptide. Giganta stuttered as the air filling her lungs was also sucked away, making her woozy.

Before long, Giganta tottered over and crashed into the ground, unconscious from having the oxygen ripped away from her. The Flash ran up beside her enlarged head, smiled, and tipped his silver hat at her before zooming off to find his next opponent.

"Calm yourself!" the Martian Manhunter ordered. "The nightmares you experience are false, Superman!"

The Man of Steel wrestled back and forth with his green companion in the air, fighting both the horrific images that Grodd was pumping directly into his brain and his own loss of control that the gorilla had taken from him. J'onn grabbed Superman by his shoulders, holding him in place with all his might and forcing him to hold steady in the sky.

"He is mine," the berserk gorilla exclaimed from beneath them. "His will has been broken by Grodd. I come for you next, Martian."

"You'll find that I am your better, villain," J'onn shot back as he held Superman's head steady and peered into his eyes. "I shall attack you through your own connection, and return your terror tenfold!"

The Manhunter's eyes glowed an eerie yellow as the vast mental powers at his command delved into Superman's mind. He pushed his way past various memories and emotions, beyond the personal sacrifice that Superman felt he constantly engaged in, and through the ether that comprised his deepest secrets. Behind the layers of Superman's psyche sat the mental representation of Grodd, glaring coldly back at J'onn.

_My force of mind powers cannot be stopped!_ Grodd's psychic form declared. _Bow before Grodd!_

_Know your place, ape,_ J'onn replied as he simply exerted his will over the simian's. _Now, I condemn you to be trapped within your own powers!_

Grodd sneered, both physically and mentally, at the unseen psychic force that brushed against his mind. Using Superman's own mental realm as their battlefield, Grodd and the Martian Manhunter fought a silent conflict of wills that would be cataclysmic if made physical in the real world. As powerful as Grodd may be, he was a novice in comparison to the Martian, who quickly overcame all resistance and smashed into the deep machinations of the gorilla's mind.

Grodd screamed in horrific terror as J'onn forced all of the villain's powers back against him, reflecting whatever damage he sought to inflict. J'onn ripped his mind back out of Superman's, who gratefully expelled a pent up breath as a result of his regained freedom.

The Man of Steel blinked several times before returning to full coherency. "Thank you, friend," Superman said.

"Thank me when we have emerged victorious," J'onn replied. "I think our adversaries have a better understanding of our situation than we do. Grodd's mind was filled with dark intent, as if he knew full well the circumstances that rested on his actions. We've already wasted enough time…" J'onn trailed off as he slowly turned around, his thoughts distracted by another mental presence nearby.

"No…" Superman said as he watched another of their adversaries float down to their level.

"Surprised?" the golden-skinned man before them said. A flowing white cape flapped in the gentle breeze behind him, just as his darkened hair was ruffled in kind. His red eyes gleamed at the pair of Leaguers, watching them carefully. He smiled, an act that seemed to be made more of obnoxious contempt rather than friendly interaction.

"Protex?" Superman blurted out.

"I shared your surprise," their golden enemy continued, ignoring the Man of Steel's comment, "but I was soon given my proper instruction. You've been brought here to die, and I'm more than pleased to say that it shall be by my hands. I really should thank you for taking out my…associate down there. My chance for revenge against both of you will be sweet."

"Explain this, pale one!" J'onn commanded. "Drop that golden disguise and face us as you truly are. You and the rest of your White Martian army were defeated, twice. How is it we came to be here, and why are you so intent on fighting?"

"Need I remind you who threw the first punch?" Protex asked with a wave of his golden hand, addressing their attention to the battle raging around them. "Technically, we're defending ourselves. I admit that this guise wouldn't have been my first choice, but our benefactor thought it would provide an interesting…conversation piece. Regardless of what form I take, it will be the last one you see!"

The White Martian, masked as the former leader of the Hyperclan called Protex, launched himself at the pair with speed matching their own. His fists had been reformed into razor sharp extensions, cutting through the air with enough force to shred through solid steel. Both J'onn and Superman barely had enough time to evade his attack; each of them wondering what other surprises lay in wait for their comrades in arms.

* * *

"Sorry, honey," the metallic hero called Cyborg yelled over the roar of an electrical assault, "but this type of thing don't work against me anymore."

On the other side of the impromptu battlefield, the villainess Livewire was unleashing her power onto Cyborg, coating him with electrical discharge. Her chalk white skin reflected the light her powers displayed, eerily showing off her cleavage and peaked hair. Livewire, a being now comprised of pure energy, was determined to make the machine man fall, but he was being stubborn as he simply absorbed whatever she threw at him.

"See, I used to be susceptible to stuff like this," Vic Stone said, "but after going on a wild goose chase through the depths of space, and meeting back up with the Titans, I can just feed off of whatever you dish out, sister. It's the new and improved Cyborg, here to stay! You, on the other hand, really just don't know when to quit!"

Cyborg's right hand, which was unfolded into some strange apparatus, acted as a lightning rod, drawing in the arcs of electricity. The energy fed into his internal systems, rerouting her power through his subsystems and storing it inside himself, now recycled into something he could use to generate a counter-attack. He didn't know how long she would play the useless game, but he decided that he would have to end it before she would. Given the reckless fighting going on around him, neither side would be surrendering anytime soon.

A quick look above him confirmed that his squad of heroes, which included Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, and the young Stargirl, were still holding their own against the trespassers. With their combined experience and abilities, Cyborg figured that whoever they were to bump into during the brawl wouldn't be able to last long. Given that so far his biggest problem had been stifling a yawn while Livewire pumped voltage into his batteries, he didn't feel worried at all. He was sure his partners were fairly just as well.

Stargirl showed an amazing grace as she swooped underneath several turquoise blasts. Incandescent clouds of frost formed around her, only to be broken by the power of her cosmic rod. If the young woman had any fear from the icy machinations of the villain called the Icicle, she withheld them.

Purple and green energy crashed into one another, lighting up the sky like a vicious storm as Cyborg witnessed Star Sapphire and Green Lantern swap energy fields. As their respective colors molded and mixed around each other, the entire landscape was blanketed in soft hues and shades momentarily.

Even with its colorful radiance, the fight between the two arch-enemies didn't compare to what Wonder Woman was undergoing. The born warrior found herself immersed inside a watery cocoon of liquid magical energy, cast by none other than the sorceress called Circe. Even with her great strength, the princess of the Amazons couldn't break free of the magical binding, growing desperate as the witch drew closer to her.

Channeling the stolen power he had taken from Livewire, Cyborg raised his other arm and unleashed a volley of soundwaves from his sonic disrupter. The pummeling force sent Circe cascading head over heals through the air, and apparently shattered the concentration she had on the concealment spell. Diana flexed her fingers and flashed Cyborg a smile before sailing off after her rival.

"Seriously," Cyborg said, turning back to face Livewire. "Just give up already. You know we're going to beat you."

Livewire's face changed from angered to almost gleeful. "Even if you do, Robocop, you'll still get your ass beat by the big man. You can't win!"

"Huh? What's that supposed to mean?"

"Tell you what," Livewire said. She finally stopped her electrical assault, allowing her arms to fall limp at her side. She stood up straighter and tilted her head slightly to one side. Her smile pierced Cyborg, her confidence forcing a small amount of doubt into his thoughts. "Maybe I'll whisper it in your radar dish ear after I fry your circuits from the inside."

With blindly speed as fast as the energy she propelled, Livewire converted her entire body into a streak of electricity, funneling it into the receptor that Cyborg had been using to absorb her attacks. There was no way he could shut the apparatus down before he unwillingly fed Livewire's electrical essence into his subsystems.

The lone, red light that served as a pupil for Vic Stone's left eye suddenly sparked before fading entirely. Inside his systems, Livewire shorted out several of his vital components before sliding back out the way she had entered. Standing over the fallen metallic form of Cyborg, the electrical villain set her sights on another so-called hero and took to the air.

Cyborg felt the last bit of his consciousness slip away as his back-up power supply forced him to shut down completely. Before darkness overtook him, he let Livewire's cryptic words run through his processors one last time.

* * *

"Did you hear that?" Aquaman said with a start. "That's one hell of fight going on, and we're missing it. They need us."

"They need us to wait here as back-up," Batman said calmly. "We've been over this, Arthur. Stand down."

"This isn't the Outsiders, Batman. You're not calling the shots."

"He is right," the bandaged man in the background said, finally breaking his silence. "We can't leave this place unprotected. It's all we have. To lump all our forces together would spell doom."

"Holy talking mummies, Batman," Robin said with a raised eyebrow. Tim Drake, the Boy Wonder, paused at the old workstation he had been scanning through and swiveled in his chair to look at the Negative Man. Even behind a domino mask, Robin's eyes gave away his feeling of curiosity. Regardless of the corny line he had used, Robin was still just as concerned as the rest of them.

Both Batman and Aquaman also turned their attentions toward their enigmatic ally. The Dark Knight had put his faith in Superman, who had vouched for the Negative Man residing with them, otherwise he would not have allowed his anonymity to remain for so long. Given Batman's extensive files that included Niles Caulder's special team of metahumans, he reasoned that the Negative Man was there for a reason, just like the rest of them.

Adversely, Aquaman felt that the last straw had been broken upon the bandaged man's comments. "And what would you know of doom?" Aquaman spat out.

"I know enough," was all the Negative Man would reply.

The former king of Atlantis barely contained his rage at having been spoken to so abruptly by a person he was supposed to blindly trust. "Don't pretend to stand idly by and retain the arrogance it takes to lecture me. You're one of Caulder's chess pieces, right? You know what it means to be manipulated by someone, and be kept completely in the dark until it's too late to do anything about it."

"I couldn't have said it any better myself," a foreign voice rang from someplace unknown.

Arthur swirled around, looking for where the voice had come from. Batman fell into a stance, a batarang already in his hand. His partner, Robin, instinctively followed his mentor's lead and readied his own weapon. The Negative Man, seemingly barely affected by the surprise intruder, only shifted his head slightly, looking from left to right.

Dark lines of shadow etched their way across the corner of the room, slowly engulfing whatever they touched. The black lines soon overtook the entire corner, making the area as dark as the deepest void. Before long the darkness twisted at the center, belching out two forms into the room that the heroes instantly recognized.

The tip of Deathstroke's sword caught the light as the shadows slid off of his shoulders. His tall stature and lean form stood ready to pounce, already tensing at the sight of the gathered heroes. The orange and blue colors of his tunic stood out against the receding darkness that comprised his companion's powers, only matched in intensity by the mask that completely covered one half of his face, including one eye.

The other newfound threat, the one whose powers had allowed them easy entrance into the heroes' hastened base of operations, stood beside him. The Shadow Thief commanded the darkness to flow off of them, once more regaining his two-dimensional human form. His bodysuit, a demon enhanced piece of technological wonder, became a dusky gray. His features were still shrouded behind the skintight headdress, but a smirk could still be seen underneath the cloth.

"Who's afraid of the dark?" Shadow Thief commented before springing into action.

Tendrils of darkness erupted out of the Shadow Thief's fingers, acting like lashing whips. Aquaman ducked under them instinctively, feeling the rush of wind from the vicious attack. He raised his pseudo-hand, a magical construct that had replaced the one that he had lost during one of the more traumatizing events of his life. With the great strength his body had come to possess in order to shrug off the pressures of the deepest ocean, Aquaman managed to grab a fistful of the tendrils in his mythical hand and yank the dark villain off of his feet.

"You've got a lot of nerve," Aquaman said as he readied his other fist to slam into the Shadow Thief. "Does Shade know how badly you're ripping him off?"

"Whatever, Fish Boy," the thief shot back. "I sold my soul for this kind of power, and I'd do it again, too."

Aquaman pulled again at the strands of shadow, ripping the Shadow Thief out of his stance and sending him hurtling through the air toward the underwater king. "Looks like you got the short end of the stick."

Just as Aquaman threw his jackhammer fist at the oncoming target, the Shadow Thief shifted his form back into an inky creature of darkness. Aquaman's punch passed harmlessly through the thief as the shadows that were the villain's to command washed over the hero. In a matter of seconds, Aquaman was completely isolated from the rest of the world, his senses and strength both dulled considerably.

Across the room, Deathstroke the Terminator simply stared his opponents down with his one good eye. Batman, Robin, and the Negative Man were all waiting for someone to make a move, all of them fully aware of how foolish it would be to engage the assassin without a plan.

"What's your game, Slade?" Batman asked, making sure to keep his stance steady. "Who's pulling your strings this time?"

"I would think that you and I know each other better than that by now, Batman," Deathstroke replied evenly. His sword was gripped tightly in one hand, held rigid and straight. "Client confidentiality is still a respectable practice in this world."

"Something tells me you weren't hired on this one," Robin chimed in. "I'm betting you were brought here against your will just like the rest of us. So, since the only thing you care about is money, I have to ask: what are you getting out of this, Slade?"

"That's where you're wrong, little bird. Ask your predecessor what I care about, as I'm sure he'll be able to tell you."

The Negative Man suddenly slumped to the floor behind the Dynamic Duo, his body collapsing in a heap. His arms hung limply at his sides, his neck was rolled back lazily, and a careful glance at the bandages covering his face would reveal that his eyes had rolled back into his head. Batman instantly knew what the Negative Man had done, and finally broke his stance to try and stop him.

"No!" Batman ordered, but it was too late.

Jet black energy rocketed out of the Negative Man's body. The strange dark energy, wholly different than the otherworldly forces that the Shadow Thief commanded, retained the shape of a man as it flew across the room. It was an unstoppable powerhouse of dimensional energy, a unique being that several people had dubbed as the 'soul-self' of the Negative Man. It was under his command, and at the moment, it had been commanded to take down Deathstroke.

The assassin leapt into a defensive crouch, centering his sword directly between him and the oncoming threat. As the strange energy form approached him at dangerous speeds, Deathstroke held his ground and pressed a button on the stalk of his weapon.

Batman launched his batarang at Deathstroke, hoping to knock the sword out of his grasp before the Negative Man's soul-self reached him. Unfortunately, even with all of his extensive training, he wasn't as fast as the energy creature. The batarang was knocked off its trajectory upon the collision of tempered steel and negative energy.

Deathstroke had brought the entire Justice League of America to its collective knees before. The Teen Titans had been little more than a warm-up session to the mercenary. He had single-handedly taken down Batman more than once. He had beaten Green Arrow, Hawkman, and Nightwing all within inches of their lives. Even the Flash had fallen down at Deathstroke's feet. He was always prepared, even for a being comprised of dimensional negative energy.

Just before the Negative Man's soul-self charged into Deathstroke's blade, the assassin thumbed a control to cause his sword to expel its own force of energy. The vibrating blade instantly hummed to life, pulsating with a weird, nearly invisible aura. As the negative energy being slammed into the sword, attempting to pass through it and plow into Deathstroke, it found itself trapped by the conflicting energy. It unleashed a horrifying scream as it was seemingly impaled by Deathstroke's blade.

The assassin relaxed his stance slightly, almost casually looking over the strange creature captured on his sword. "I've heard of you," Slade said. "How does it feel to be speared through the chest by anti-matter?"

"Let him go!" Robin found himself screaming.

Deathstroke thumbed the button again, deactivating the thrumming energy that cascaded around his sword. The dark being was instantly recalled back into its human host, still lying limply on the floor. It had been wounded, a feeling it rarely experienced. Even after being sucked back inside the Negative Man, the enigmatic hero remained motionless on the ground, despite having regained his soul-self.

"Now," Deathstroke the Terminator said as he drew his sword back up, "who's next?"

* * *

TO BE CONTINUED!


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER FOUR

_Let each man exercise the art he knows._

_-Aristophanes_

* * *

"The battle rages," Ganthet observed, "but it will not be the last." 

Riding the cosmic winds of space that only their ilk was privy to, the Quintessence did what they had been formed to do: observe. As five of the universe's most powerful beings they had taken it upon themselves to find fellowship with one another, making a type of brotherhood that the very heavens would quake from if given the right motivation.

Zeus, lord of the Pantheon and master of the skies, watched more intently than the others. "My kin does not comprehend the travesty he has begun," the ruler said. "For a god to be omnipotent is one thing, but this charade he has provoked by mixing his ancient magicks with more…modern ones—"

"Technology is wholly different than simple magick," the stern Highfather replied. "The piece to which you refer was forged by one of the New Gods, brother. But I agree, Ares does not understand the powers that he has toyed with so recklessly. What does he hope to accomplish?"

The wizard Shazam stroked his beard in contemplation. "Whatever the goal," the elder said, "I'm sure it is Ares' intention to initially cause chaos in some manner or another so that we might be distracted. We still have no reason for our own presence. We have noticed repercussions from his actions all across the timestream, indeed ending existence prematurely. He must be stopped. If my champion had been among those chosen—"

_You champion,_ a dark voice suddenly rumbled from somewhere in the void, _is nothing compared to my own power._

The Phantom Stranger was the first to pinpoint the location of their eavesdropper. The enigmatic Stranger seldom showed emotion, but the folds of space that the Quintessence was privy to reside in were not easily accessible by others. The voice, which they recognized as belonging to the source of their problems, echoed away into space as several shapes quickly took form before the gathered Quintessence.

"Hello, brothers," Ares said, now fully revealing his presence and that of his allies. The cunning god was garbed in an exquisite suit, its color as deep as the very void they rested in. Beside Ares waited two others, floating patiently behind their master.

"You are no longer fit to call us such a term!" Zeus screamed as he readied one of his legendary thunderbolts. "I should have killed you when you were still a babe, fresh from the cradle of life!"

Ares raised a hand toward the lord of the skies, freezing him in place. Enraged, Ganthet quickly summoned the green energy that was bound to his very being, casting the immediate area around them with an emerald light. Highfather raised his curled staff, preparing himself for whatever torrent of cosmic warfare would come his way. Both Shazam and the Stranger remained somewhat stoic, as if waiting for the next event to place its course.

"Hold!" Ares commanded. "I've come here peacefully."

"I expect that the God of War would _never_ enter a place peacefully," Ganthet shot back. "Why have you done these things, Ares?"

"Why?" Ares repeated. "To conquer, as is my nature, of course. I admit that the so-called heroes and villains down below are not exactly…adhering to my plans, but that is why I have you five, now isn't it?"

The couple behind Ares stalked forward out of the shadows that were swimming in their master's wake. Their faces were dark and glazed over, as if their minds, as powerful as they may be, were somewhere other than the matter at hand.

"Metron and Neron," Ares said as a devilish smile formed on his face. "Representatives both of my stolen power. Humble these fools for your master."

* * *

DCI Proudly Presents

JUSTICE WAR

#4 Written by D. Golightly

* * *

They said he had no fear. Whether it was pushing the envelope inside the cockpit of a concept aircraft, or going punch for punch with Sinestro, they all believed that Hal Jordan was a man born for excitement. Adrenaline was constantly in his veins. It was only by sheer willpower that Jordan was able to hold it together no matter what the situation. 

As Star Sapphire choked the breath from his lungs with a ring of purple energy, Hal Jordan began to sweat.

"You men are all the same," Star Sapphire said mockingly. "No matter your stature you are all arrogant enough to think you can just bully your way passed me. Know that I am a Queen. I am accustomed to having my will be done and at the moment I will your death, Green Lantern!"

He had been in worse situations, but that didn't make him think the opposition could just be bowled over. Star Sapphire, a longtime enemy that had come back again and again, was as deadly as she was beautiful. She shouldn't be underestimated, and being distracted by the multiple fights all around him, Hal Jordan had done just that. He had intended to contain Sapphire quickly and move on to the next villain, a mistake he was regretting.

As a member of the Green Lantern Corps, Hal Jordan had learned how to deal with peril, angst, and most importantly, fear. Some people handled it by ignoring the emotions, or redirecting their attention to something else. Hal, however, embraced the fear. By looking the monster in the eye he was able to overcome it, forcing his own will to support his ambitions.

Being afraid was sometimes a good thing, as it gave him the strength he needed to ignite his passion during a battle. That passion, psychically manifested by the Oan power ring adorning his finger, blazed to life with a furious green ember.

"My will is stronger than yours, Sapphire," Green Lantern choked out. "It always has been. Doesn't matter who you're possessing…in the end you're just a forgotten spirit trapped inside a dirty old rock."

Emerald energy streaked out of the Lantern's power ring, forming into several distinct shapes. A giant pair of scissors suddenly appeared between the two combatants, its blades immediately closing down to sever the line of purple energy that was choking Green Lantern. Their connection now gone, the purple ring around his throat faded away allowing him to breath easily once more.

"No!" Star Sapphire screamed in defiance.

The brilliant flair of green energy enveloped Star Sapphire completely, forming into a human-sized birdcage. The thick bars repelled Sapphire's own energy, containing its deadly force. A third object, a large pair of pincers, quickly formed behind her inside the cage. The giant utensil, comprised of the strange green plasma energy that obeyed the commands of its master, clamped shut twice at Jordan's mental beckoning. The surreal creation of the Lantern startled the female villain, noticeably making her afraid.

Not only had Green Lantern faced down whatever fear he might have, but he had succeeded in redirecting it back at his aggressor.

"I command you to release me!" Star Sapphire screamed. The gem imbedded in the crown of her black and purple uniform flashed before unleashing a wave of her own power. The purple rays batted against the large, green pincers but Jordan's will was intact, no longer shaken by the gravity of the situation.

"Sorry, princess," the hero replied, "but I should have done this a long time ago."

Pushing against the frantic releases of purple energy, the pincers clasped down around the jewel that fueled Star Sapphire's power. Gripping his wrist as if to steady his concentration, Green Lantern fought against the gem's reluctance to be liberated from the villainess' crown. Beads of sweat began to form once more on his brow, but the Lantern redoubled his efforts, exerting his will over his energy construct.

With a tiny _pop!_ the gem came free, eliciting a scream from Star Sapphire.

"What have you done!" the woman screamed. "To sever the connection so violently…I'll die, you cretin!"

Green Lantern smirked. "I highly doubt it," he said. "You're still in contact with the gem, just not physically, your highness. You noticed that you're not dead and you haven't reverted back to whomever you possessed, right?"

A look of both fascination and horror swept over Sapphire's face as she slowly touched the supposedly vacant crest in her headdress. There, in place of her own Zamaronian jewel, was an emerald stone that pulsed with energy.

"Ever see the first Indiana Jones movie?" Hal asked as he formed a green lockbox and deposited the woman's jewel in it. "You just have to be fast on the switch. I'll need answers later that a civilian can't answer, so for now you're staying trapped in that body. The replica I had my ring jam in there will keep you connected to your real gem, but it also cuts off all access to your powers. Don't worry, princess, I'll keep your little trinket safe."

Green Lantern playfully waved goodbye as Star Sapphire screamed behind the bars of her birdcage. Whatever elation Jordan felt, however, was quickly dissipated by a stray blast of icy froth rushing by his head.

"You okay over there?" he asked the young girl that was doing her bet to dodge the Icicle's attacks.

"Just perfect," Stargirl shot back as she used the long cosmic weapon grasped in her hands to deflect another ray of coldness. "Cyborg's down, though. You had better—"

A surge of electricity jumped across the sky and poured into Stargirl. Livewire, a woman able to control electrical current, cackled in sickening pleasure as she allowed her blue lightning to singe Stargirl's costume. Green Lantern moved to intercept the ongoing attack, but held back when he saw another shape already on the way.

Barda's own cosmic rod crunched into the back of Livewire's head, knocking her forward and instantly throwing her into unconsciousness. Propelled by the technology of her home world, a pair of thin hover-discs holding her aloft, the warrior known as Big Barda watched from the air as Livewire crashed into the ground.

"Anyone who can make their body incorporeal, and doesn't during a battle," Barda stated, "_deserve_s to be taken in such a manner."

Green Lantern commanded his ring to create a cushion for Stargirl as well as another cage for the fallen Livewire, ensuring that she wouldn't be fleeing the scene. "Easy, Barda," he said. "We'll need some of these guys for questioning later."

"You can question them as much you want after they wake up," Barda retorted. "Now, find me another."

The warrior that heralded from the race of New Gods gripped her weapon tightly as she eyed up her next target. Circe, a magical creature in her own right, was in a fierce battle with her longtime foe, Wonder Woman. Spells were launched and deflected as the two women twisted in a spiral rising higher into the air. The anger and irritation from having so far failed in defeating Diana shown evidently on Circe's face as they flew closer to the clouds. Barda wanted to enter the fray, but held back out of respect for Wonder Woman.

"Fall, damn you!" Circe screamed as she unleashed a thunderous spell that would have transformed Diana into some base creature.

"You first," Wonder Woman said casually as she used her mythical bracelets to halt yet another stray spell.

The two women flew up through the atmosphere, the surrounding air growing thinner and thinner. Small puffs of clouds began to part from their rushing approach, pushed back from the ferocity of their conflict. Magical energies ran rampant between them, cast by one and dissipated by the other.

An echoing boom rumbled from somewhere below them, catching Wonder Woman's attention momentarily. Her keen vision sought out a rapidly approaching figure heading straight for them, a form that she recognized but could hardly believe was present, despite the fact that their overall situation had been full of surprises. Oddly enough the approaching figure, or more appropriately, the approaching _enemy_ was arcing to cross her aerial path but appeared to have gone limp. His golden skin reflected the dazzling energies that were lighting up the sky beautifully.

Moving with the speed of the gods, Wonder Woman dove out of the way of another spell cast by the treacherous Circe, flying to intercept the approaching villain that had somehow been thrown their way.

"Fleeing?" Circe mocked as she charged another hex bolt.

Wonder Woman ignored Circe, but she knew she had to act quickly. Her back was now to the sorceress, an action that made her body scream in logical defiance. Leaving her enemy behind her, Diana swooped down and caught the rushing figure in the air, holding him with all her strength in an arm lock.

She heard the unmistakable sound of another spell being fired at her back, and quickly turned to place her already unconscious foe in its path. The golden man, in actuality a White Martian named Protex, opened his eyes just in time to watch the magical hex bolt slam into his chest.

He screamed, his high-pitched alien voice piercing the very heavens that they hovered in. His golden skin quickly melted away to reveal his putrid and pale flesh, marred by a vicious fight he had apparently undergone. Then, just as quickly as the energies had struck him, Protex passed out and went limp once more.

"That disgusting waste will only shield you for so long," Circe said scornfully. "You cannot dodge my attempts to end your life forever. Soon, you _will_ fall."

"Your assumptions are misplaced," spoke another voice from behind her.

Circe spun to confront whomever had dared to address her so curtly, only to find herself staring into a red and gold stylized 'S'. A pair of strong arms crossed themselves over the symbol, drawing her attention to the face of the man that had helped usher in a new era for heroes around the world.

"My, my," Circe said playfully. "I was hoping to bump into you. Of course, my husband would have a fit…"

"Surrender so we can end this," Superman said.

"Surrender?" Circe repeated, raising an eyebrow. She let her eyes wander over Superman's physique, dissolving all subtlety in her visual appropriation of his body. "I think not. Not when there are so many…things to take into consideration."

"Superman!" Wonder Woman screamed in warning, but the Man of Steel moved quickly enough to save himself.

With a grace that betrayed his stature, Superman swung around behind Circe and avoided the transfiguration spell that the sorceress had been concocting while she attempted to distract him. Grasping her wrists tightly from behind, Superman held them firmly in place while she fruitlessly struggled against his might.

"Allow me," Green Lantern said as he approached. A pair of green mittens molded themselves around Circe's clasped hands, as well as a strip of green plasma to cover her mouth. "I hate magic. Try slinging a spell without your fingers and tongue, witch."

Jordan hauled a quartet of gathered people behind him. Star Sapphire muttered her annoyance at the plethora of men around her, while Livewire, Cyborg, and Stargirl all lay quietly on their own constructs. He quickly added Protex to their number, sheathing him inside an emerald straightjacket.

"Appreciated, Lantern," Superman said with a nod. "J'onn is down across the valley. I think Protex may have hit him with some kind of psychic attack. He'll need medical attention back at the Harbor. Grodd and Giganta are there, too."

"So I have you to thank for providing me with a Martian shield?" Wonder Woman asked.

"As soon as he took down J'onn I burned away a layer of his skin to weaken him, then landed an uppercut that Bruce would have been proud of. Hope I didn't steal your thunder, Diana."

"Just mark me down for an assist and we'll call it even."

Several hundred feet below the hovering crowd, the Icicle squinted his eyes to try and make out what was transpiring. He clenched one of his hands, feeling the temperature around him drop as his powers adjusted to his feelings of irritation. The blue and white of his costume stood out against the soft brown undertones of the landscape, and he was sure that even from their height they would be able to see him.

"I can't believe they forgot about me," he said. "Even with a second chance I get no respect. I'm like the Rodney-freakin'-Dangerfield of the Society of Supervillains."

A rush of wind suddenly blew by him, nearly knocking him off his feet. A blur of motion accompanied the whipping blast of air, startling him as he realized who had found him.

"Oh, c'mon," Jay Garrick said. "We didn't forget about you, Icy. I was just saving the best for last."

"Damn right, Flasher!" the Icicle screamed as he drew in the moisture from the surrounding area. White crystals formed around his clenched fists, signaling that he was about to unleash his abilities.

"Sorry about this," Jay said as he simply closed the gap between them in less than a heartbeat. "You win some, you lose some."

With a punch thrown at roughly half the speed of sound, the Flash knocked out the Icicle and laid him out flat on his back. The crystals that had formed around his lower arms dropped to the ground and melted down to a liquid. Jay stood over the theme villain, rubbing the knuckles that had nearly shattered the Icicle's jaw.

"Well, not us, anyway," Jay said as he moved to collect the downed enemy. "We're the good guys. We win 'em all."

* * *

Batman flung his arms out, forcing his cape to whip back over his shoulder. A pair of batarangs cut through the air, slicing through the space between himself and his prey. Deathstroke the Terminator was an adversary that the Batman couldn't take chances with. He had to strike fast and strike hard. 

His partner, Robin, flanked the mercenary just as he had been trained to do. Batman took a quick inventory of their situation as he watched Deathstroke slap down the two batarangs easily with his sword.

The Negative Man was down, possibly dead. Aquaman was encapsulated by the dark nether-shadows that were under the control of the Shadow Thief and was likely suffocating. Had there been something else concerning the Shadow Thief? Batman thought he remembered seeing one of his shadows branch off from the others but he couldn't be sure. The rest of the heroes had left to engage an outside foe and hadn't reported in. The General was being held ten feet behind him in a containment chamber, slumbering but not out of commission. The only people he could count on at the moment were himself and his young ward.

"Careful, Batman," Deathstroke said as he shifted his stance to account for Robin's position. "If you throw all your toys away you won't stand a chance at beating me."

The Dark Knight shot a quick glance at the bubbling sphere of darkness across the room, at the center of which he knew the former king of Atlantis was struggling for life. He reestablished his gaze on Deathstroke, quickly running down a list of options at the speed of thought. Several matters demanded his attention.

Priorities.

There was nothing he could do for the Negative Man, at least not at the moment. First, the Batman depressed a trigger at the base of his palm, masked by the lining of his glove. The lenses that protected his eyes quickly tinted, toning down all the light that fed into his pupils. The motion was barely noticeable, but the same trigger that polarized his lenses also triggered the ones in Robin's domino mask. The younger vigilante instantly knew his mentor's next step and swiftly reacted accordingly.

Both of the dynamic duo palmed a tiny pellet out of their belts and threw them at Deathstroke's feet. The room was suddenly covered in blinding light as the flashbangs exploded, throwing shadows all across the walls. The magnesium charge would only last for a few scant moments, but that was all Batman needed.

Next, the Batman headed for the Shadow Thief. The light served not only to distract Deathstroke, but also throw the Thief's control over the rampant shadows into chaos. The gamble paid off, as was evident by the startled look on Carl Sands naked face, which was temporarily stripped of its dark covering. The Batman lowered his center of gravity and flipped forward, bringing the back of his heel smashing down across Sands' terrified face.

A fist suddenly shot out of the bulbous mass of shadows that were covering Aquaman. With a defiant roar that only a king could possess, the barreled chest of the League's aquarian seeped out from between the darkness. A quick look over Aquaman told Batman all he needed to know. He would live, and might possibly be on his feet again in the next few minutes. Hopefully they could survive that long. Arthur's strength would be a large asset that they desperately needed.

The Batman whirled around to face Deathstroke and saw that Robin was still holding his own. He had trained his apprentice well, but he wouldn't be able to match the assassin forever. The Dark Knight covered the distance between them quickly, leaping into the air at the last second and aiming a bone-breaking kick at Deathstroke's solar plexus.

Robin ducked instinctively, proving how well of a team he and his mentor made. Just like the Robins before him, Tim Drake had gone through countless hours of training in order to adapt to any situation, taking multiple variables into account. His youth and general form allowed him a greater amount of flexibility than a full grown adult would, which in turn played off of his mentor's own capabilities.

Batman soared over Robin, his foot planting firmly into Deathstroke's body. The mercenary stepped back, rolling with the hit and letting his entire frame absorb the momentum. Whatever his reaction didn't cover, his body armor did. The kick, while strong enough to cripple most men, barely fazed him at all.

"You're only as good as your situation demands, Batman," Deathstroke said as he balanced the long sword that had taken more lives than he could remember. "That's why you'll never be one of the best. You can only react to what you know of, and right now, you're oblivious."

"Enlighten me, Slade," the Batman replied. He extended his fingers and swept his open hand in an arc that would catch Deathstroke just below the neck, but the mercenary batted the chop away with a sweep of his forearm.

"You're the detective," Deathstroke said as he lunged forward with his blade, barely missing the Dark Knight with its tip. "You figure it out."

Batman followed through with his sidestep and rammed his elbow into Deathstroke's face. The assassin fell back, unable to roll with the hit this time since he had extended himself from his own prior attack. He shook his head slightly to wear off the surely forming bruise, and brought his sword between them.

Surprisingly, instead of swiping back with the blade Deathstroke cocked his head to one side as if something had caught his attention. Batman paused, assessing what was going on. Was he communicating with someone? Was someone communicating with him?

"Well, you know what they say, Bats," Deathstroke said in his usual calm voice. "All's fair in love and war. I think you know which side of that I prefer."

Robin aimed a roundhouse at Deathstroke from the side, hoping that his attention would be focused entirely on Batman and allow him an open. The world-class assassin blocked the attack easily, landing a kick to Batman's head and swinging himself around behind the Boy Wonder in one swift motion.

"In case you weren't aware," Deathstroke said before Batman could react, "_this_ is war."

The blade cut through Robin's body armor with little resistance. Blood splashed onto the floor behind the pair, darkening the floor in crimson. The tip of Deathstroke's sword poked through Robin's chest, pointing directly at Batman. More blood slowly dribbled out of Tim Drake's mouth as his eyes went wide, staring at his mentor.

Robin leaned forward, held up only by the solid steel blade that had pierced his young body. His mouth dropped open and his expression went blank.

Batman was sure he screamed. He wasn't sure what he said, but he was sure he had yelled something as he leapt forward. His cape billowed behind him like a separate entity, flapping wildly but staying out of his way. Deathstroke yanked his sword out of the Boy Wonder's lower back and swung it at the Dark Knight. Drops of blood splattered onto the Batman's costume from the force of Deathstroke's swing. The blade, etched with thick blood, swung wide and caught Batman's side, but it did little to stop the Dark Knight.

Two of Deathstroke's ribs cracked from the knee that Batman brought into his torso. One of his teeth came loose from the punch that Batman drove into his jaw. Another rib fractured from the boot that Batman jutted into his side.

"Stand up," Batman ordered through gritted teeth. "Stand up!"

Deathstroke spit out a mouthful of blood inside his facemask. "Sorry, Bats," he muttered. "Mission accomplished. Time for me to leave."

Darkness swam around the room, molding with Deathstroke's battered form and quickly pulling him away. Batman lunged at the mercenary but found nothing. The shadows slid back to the corners of the room, fading away between the cracks in the walls. The Dark Knight swept his gaze around the room and saw that the Shadow Thief was gone as well. The presence of his powers verified that he had been the one to extract them.

"Bruce…"

Batman turned to see Aquaman kneeling down beside his fallen ward. Blood stained the boy's costume, mixing with the blazing red tones that gave him his namesake. In the center of his chest, just a few inches to the left of his symbol, the weave of his fabric had been torn open where the blade had exited his body. There was no life in the boy's face, no movement.

"Bruce," Arthur repeated. "Bruce, look at me. We have to move him. We need to get him to the medical wing."

Batman snapped out of his shock, bending down to pick up the limp form of his apprentice. As they rushed out of the holding facility in one of the sublevels of their old Justice League headquarters, they ran by the still unconscious Negative Man. His bandages had been loosened by the bluntness of his soul-self returning to his body, and his lips twitched slightly.

Arthur bent down to check on the Negative Man, searching for a pulse. He found one, evoking a small amount of relief in the former king. He was alive, but his pulse was weak and he also needed medical attention. He looked up to see the containment cell that the Negative Man was leaning against, horrified to see that it was completely empty.

The General was gone, no doubt stolen away by the Shadow Thief as the cowards had made their escape.

Hoisting the Negative Man over one of his broad shoulders, Aquaman rushed out of the room after Batman, hoping that they would be able to preserve whatever lives they could. He couldn't help but acknowledge Deathstroke's comment, realizing that this truly was now a war.

* * *

TO BE CONTINUED!


	5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER FIVE

_One must not tie a ship to a single anchor, nor life to a single hope._

_-Epictetus_

* * *

"Prep another shot of adrenaline!" Batman hollered among the dead silence that encompassed the medical bay. 

His young ward and adoptive son, Tim Drake, lay flat on his back on the examination table. The Batman furiously continued to exercise CPR on the teenager, despite the fact that he hadn't moved in well over four minutes. His pulse was gone, his eyes were ghostly, and his breath had given out.

The red-breasted Robin was dead.

Even still, Hal Jordan handed the syringe full of adrenaline over to the Dark Knight. They were all holding out hope. The tension was as thick as the silence.

"Bruce," Superman muttered quietly from behind the cowled man.

"Charge the defibrillator!" Batman yelled.

Wonder Woman complied, snatching up the paddles with one hand while turning the dial to the appropriate voltage with the other. Her longtime associate and friend took the paddles, his cape sweeping behind him from the motion. Robin's body convulsed from the shock of electricity, but remained lifeless.

"Bruce," Superman repeated. "He's gone. He hasn't had a heartbeat for—"

Batman stole a moment away from his own concentration to shoot Superman a look. Clark Kent had been witness to many things, but never had he seen such grim determination behind the eyes of someone he thought he knew better than most.

The Dark Knight returned to his work, desperately trying to resuscitate Robin. Silence again overtook the room, blaring into their ears as loud as any alarm would.

Minutes melted away into a full hour. The bleeding had stopped finally, no longer seeping out of the vicious puncture wound. Green Lantern excused himself while Superman and Wonder Woman stood silently behind Batman, watching and waiting.

The predator that criminals feared more than death itself had once again been broken by the loss of a life. A life he felt obligated to, a life that had been his to watch over. Flashbacks of holding a different young man wearing the same costume hit him hard, images mixing past and present.

He fell to his knees, ignoring the sudden pain that spurned his legs. Feeling was nothing to him. He was entirely numb.

* * *

DCI Proudly Presents

JUSTICE WAR

#5 Written by D. Golightly

* * *

They had been utterly defeated. 

"Will you yield, Stranger?" Ares asked almost mockingly. "Your brethren have fallen before my stolen power. Why fight the God of War? The very act must seem redundant when you think about it."

The Phantom Stranger remained unmoved. His cloak billowed around him from the cosmic winds dispersed by the menacing combat they, the Quintessence, had partaken in. He didn't need to see what he already knew had transpired: Highfather had been grounded by an explosion of ethereal energy from the Demon Lord called Neron. Ganthet had been contained by his own power thanks to the meddling of the New God named Metron. Shazam and Zeus yet remained, but they were both wrestling with Ares' apparent lackeys and would soon fall.

The Stranger couldn't help but fathom the ridiculous power that had been granted to Neron and Metron. Each of them were titans in their own right, masters over certain areas of time and space…but against the combined might of the Quintessence they should pale in comparison. Yet that had not been the case.

"Your madness will destroy more than just our own universe," the Stranger finally replied. "What do you hope to accomplish? Even your own destruction will come to pass if you—"

"_My_ existence is all but guaranteed." Ares smoothed down the lapels of his tailored suit, smiling. As his hands slid down the front of his jacket, the deep color of his apparel began to shift and sway, as if rippling inside of reality. A split second later Ares' clothing had melted away into his signature blue and black mythical armor, complete with carvings of forgotten battles etched into the metal. "Clothes make the man. That is what they say, isn't it?"

Zeus cried out from behind the Stranger as Neron enveloped him inside a swarm of lower demons. Claws and teeth scraped across his golden skin, somehow able to pierce the flesh of the Lord of the Pantheon. The thunderbolts that were Zeus' to command could no longer aid him as his hands had been grasped from behind, held in place by the augmented strength of Neron.

The wizard Shazam was fairing no better. Even with his mastery over the different magicks that encompassed the universe, the aged wizard had fallen to the strange machinations of Metron. The wizard's long beard hung as lifeless as the unconscious form of its owner.

"All of you were so smug," Ares said, bringing the Stranger's attention back upon him. "To think that you were above all else. Your little group had been dispersed to the far corners, some of you even beyond Death's Door. If it wasn't for me you wouldn't even be here at this moment."

"Which is what initially raised our suspicions," the Phantom Stranger replied. "As you say, our mere presence is cause enough for alarm. However, even the Quintessence is humble enough to allow the universe its natural course. With your possession of these…things," the Stranger motioned toward the enslaved Metron and Neron, "you have put all that is at jeopardy. And for what? Mere power? You were already a god, Ares."

"You dare ridicule me? The Third and Fourth Worlds are gone, Stranger! Even you, with your impotent powers of observation, can surely see that!"

Space folded into a small pocket in front of Ares, bending just as his will commanded it. A light shone from where he had torn the fabric of reality asunder, now removed by his own hands. Ares held out the device that he had taken so wondrously from its previous owner, its metallic pieces shifting and sliding in and out of each other.

"The _worlogog_…"

"Yes, Stranger. The fool Metron was weak thanks to recent events in the Prime Universe. His link to the worlogog had nearly been severed and that incumbent robot that served as his disciple was absent from his side. I chose my moment and took what I needed to ascertain power beyond the gods. Now, with the strength of this battle added to my own, I am nearly ready to proceed to my heart's desire."

The Stranger hesitated, unsure of how to proceed. He had seen countless versions of the worlogog spread across the timestream. He had known that Ares had usurped control over the device from Metron. He also had witnessed firsthand the power that the worlogog could grant.

"Scared, Stranger?" Ares said with a laugh. "You should be. Once I am finally able to unravel the worlogog there will be nothing that can stand in my way."

"The question remains, just as I assume it always will in some form or another."

"You wish to know why? Again, your arrogance is expected, but not unwelcome. I presume that my previous answer was simply not good enough for you, Stranger. Perhaps…I shall show you."

A light twinkled in the edges of Ares' eyes and a swarm of energy suddenly washed over the Stranger. He was pushed forward by a wall of force generated by the combined efforts of Metron and Neron, matching their master's power from behind. The Stranger found himself being crushed between the two invisible barriers of power. He placed a hand against each wall of opposition, straining to keep from being flattened into a thin wafer.

He chanced a glance sideways at the pair of enslaved titans, seeing the exertion upon their faces as they struggled to keep up with their master. Turning his head the other way, he saw Ares laughing while he pressed on, seemingly unaffected by the amount of power he was unleashing. It was as if the tremendous struggle was nothing more than a flight of fancy to him.

Then, just as a bead of sweat began to form upon the Phantom Stranger's brow, an act that had never transpired before, he understood Ares' reasoning for disrupting reality.

* * *

"Well, what the hell are we supposed to do now?" 

The Shadow Thief, somewhat exhausted from the turmoil from earlier in the day, leaned back against a battered table that had once supported various plans and blueprints posed by some of the world's most diabolical villains. Over time the table, like most of the complex, had been worn from years of ignorance. Where evil titans once met to try and thwart their enemies now stood a tattered shell of a building that had suffered from neglect.

"We wait," Deathstroke replied. "Relax, if you're able to in that monkey suit."

The Shadow Thief shot a look at his forced partner, Deathstroke the Terminator, but quickly averted his eyes from the assassin's gaze. He had never stepped foot into the Sinister Citadel, the place they currently sought shelter in, but Deathstroke had. That fact was enough to keep Sands on his toes.

The Sinister Citadel, the original home of the Secret Society of Super-Villains. Founded in direct opposition to the Justice League and various other heroes of the world, the Society had gone through several incarnations over the years. Sands knew that the gathered team of villains, of which he was a part, hadn't been dubbed with a Society handle but they still had needed to find a place of respite. In fact, Deathstroke was the one who had suggested the use of the Citadel, even though it was barely standing.

"Didn't Darkseid blow this place up or something?" the Thief asked.

"He's the one that originally formed the Society," Deathstroke replied coldly. "Darkseid's done a lot of things."

"I thought it was Luthor…"

The room they were in had once been the meeting area, or war room, for the original Society. Broken and cracked monitors lay spread out along the walls, holographic projectors from over a decade ago sat unused, and cracked filaments lined the ceiling. In its prime the Citadel had been a base of operations that might have even succeeded the League's satellite, but now it was a shadow of its former self.

Across the floor sprawled out on his back was the General. Their original mission had been simple enough: retrieve and deposit. The retrieval of the gung-ho General had been easy enough, as they even managed to take down the bandaged man, whoever he was, Robin, and Aquaman in the process. Depositing, on the other hand, had been trickier. He didn't think that anyone had noticed one of his shadow tendrils slipping off during the brawl, but they didn't have any proof of that part of the operation as of yet. That was why they had pulled out before making sure the small brigade of heroes had been finished off.

The General finally sat up, moaning and shaking his head. "Friggin' Boy Scout and his traitor friends…" he mumbled as he rubbed his head. "How long was I out?"

"Barely a day," Deathstroke replied as he polished his sword. Blood still stained its edges from when it had punctured into Robin's back. "Near as we can tell the Martian you're your brain down and then they stuck your body in suspended animation. Don't expect pity, Eiling. You ran off halfcocked once you heard about Ares' plan. You got what you deserved."

The huge frame of General Wade Eiling's stolen body rose from the floor, cracking his knuckles and stretching his limbs. He glowered at Deathstroke as he did so, allowing the subtle intimidation to carry through. Each crack of his joints was like the beat of a drum, a sound that would be enough to make most men shake with fear. Deathstroke didn't even look in the General's direction.

"I should snap your neck like a twig," Eiling threatened.

A dark and silky shape slipped in front of the General's view. White teeth appeared where a man's head would roughly be, smiling delicately. "Easy, big guy," the Shadow Thief said. "Ares made it clear who we're supposed to be—"

"Don't give me that garbage! Where is this supposed God of War now, huh? He snags us all up, throws us on this makeshift planet, and then disappears after filling us in on where the heroes are. You tell me how a god, of war no less, has any right to do that, let alone give orders!"

"Well, I see your point," Sands said meekly. "Ares said we'll get a real nice score at the end of all this…whatever _this_ is…"

"I took off from the rest of you wannabe freaks so I could end this and get what was coming to me. And for what?"

"Nothing," Deathstroke said from behind Sands. He stood up and sheathed his sword, crossing his arms over his tunic-covered chest. "You got nothing, Eiling, because you're a failure. If we hadn't needed to come rescue you then we would have been able to rally a full assault against them. Instead we wasted time and lost most of our roster."

The Shadow Thief tossed a nervous look over his shoulder at Deathstroke, then looked back at the General in front of him. Both looked like they were ready to throw down, taking him along in the process.

"I'm sure Ares will be here soon to clear all this up…" Sands said, but found his words were falling on deaf ears.

The General roared as he plunged his hand into the Shadow Thief's midsection. Unprepared for the strike, the General was able to cut through Sands' plasmatic body easily, dispersing him around the room like an exploded water balloon. Deathstroke remained still as the General charged him, unconcerned with his approach.

Eiling's footsteps sounded like thunderclaps on the cracked cement of the Sinister Citadel's floor. Just as he drew close enough to strike, Deathstroke ducked into a crouch and snapped back up, dodging to the side as he sliced into the General's stomach with the pair of knives he had taken from his boots.

Bodily fluids fell onto the floor as the General faltered in his run. Hitting the floor hard, the General grunted in disbelief. Deathstroke leapt onto his back and slipped one of the knives under the General's throat, pulling it back sharply. The wound dug deep into Eiling's throat, making him cough up blood onto the floor.

Deathstroke stood back up, wiping the knives off on his leg. "You're nothing, Eiling, a failure. Even though your impressive healing factor will undoubtedly have you up and running within seconds, I'm sure you do not wish to re-experience the pain of having your throat cut."

The General's massive leg suddenly shot up, catching Deathstroke in the gut and sending him flying back across the room. Eiling gargled a response, but his throat hadn't yet healed enough for words to form coherently. The General rolled back onto his feet, eyeing up his prey with a hunter's eyes.

There was no flash or noise that signaled the arrival of the newcomer. One moment the space was unoccupied, and the next moment there stood an intimidating figure that had shaken the very cosmos on more than one occasion. The tall figure extended a hand and caught Deathstroke before he smashed into the wall, setting him back down on his feet.

Deathstroke turned to look at who had dared to lay a hand on him, pausing as he looked into the deep, resonating eyes that housed enough power to level a continent.

Darkseid.

"Be still!" the subjugator of wills commanded. "You are warriors, soldiers now at _my_ disposal. You will not engage each other unless I so wish."

Dark pools of shadow finally came together enough for Sands to reconstitute himself. He shifted back into his human form and shook his head, reeling slightly from the effects of having been completely shattered. He took one look at Darkseid and dropped his mouth open, nearly falling over from the sight of the mad titan.

"That's ironic," the Shadow Thief said quietly.

Deathstroke took a few steps back before replying. "Darkseid. To what do we owe this honor?"

"I have…bargained with your gatherer, Ares. I shall now pull victory from your defeat. Join me or die."

"Simple as that, huh?" the General said, his throat now completely healed. "We're supposed to just follow you blindly? I'm practically immortal and I don't intend to follow another alien, because that's all you are as far as I'm concerned. Give me one logical reason why I would even consider throwing in with you."

The granite like skin of the ruler of Apokolips ground as he stepped forward, his hands clasped behind his back in his typical fashion. He looked around the remains of the Sinister Citadel, remaining apathetic to its appearance and even to those gathered inside it. He focused his attention back on the General finally, flashing the power of the Omega Effect behind his resonating eyes.

"Because, creature," he said coldly. "_Darkseid is_."

* * *

Hours passed. The collected heroes stayed mostly quiet, tending their wounds and securing their prisoners. J'onn had recovered quickly, but he was still weak from the harsh mental prowess of Protex. Stargirl had also begun to heal, but was still shaky on her legs, the deep chill of the Icicle still with her. The Negative Man seemed completely fine now that his soul-self had stabilized itself. Cyborg had taken the most punishment from the field team, his internal systems still refusing to reboot. 

Then there was the anguish that accompanied the loss of a life.

His cowl removed, Bruce Wayne stood in the corner of one of the old housing quarters, staring blankly into the wall. Robin's body had been moved to a sealed chamber in the subbasement levels, awaiting further preparation. For one of the few times in his life, Bruce didn't know what to do.

"It's okay to talk about it," Superman said.

Bruce twitched, startled by the apparent entrance of the Man of Steel. So engrossed was he in his own despondent thoughts that someone had been able to enter the room without him realizing it. The Dark Knight merely turned back to face the wall, ignoring Superman's comment.

"Okay, let me put it this way: you _need_ to talk about it."

"Fine." Bruce spun around and closed the distance between them in several long strides. A stern determination was embedded in his features, strong enough to make Superman blink in surprise. "Let's talk, Clark. Let's talk about how another life was snuffed out because of me. Let's talk about how I could have stopped it before it even began. Let's talk about my responsibility and how this is basically my fault when you boil it down. Let's talk about it, Clark, because I would really love that right now."

"It's not—"

Bruce turned away, disgusted. "No, of course not. It never is, is it? Not when their side can murder ours and we just shake our index fingers and roll our eyes."

A cold silence fell over them. The few moments that passed seemed like an eternity for both of them. Then, shattering all cognizant thought like a rock through a pane of glass, an alarm sounded throughout the room. Both cast their gazes to the upper corner where a red light flickered on and off. A small amount of surprise caught Superman off-guard, as he wasn't aware that the interior security alarms were still active. They had been on such a whirlwind tour of the situation that he hadn't taken the time to consider it.

Bruce slipped his cowl back on as he walked briskly out of the room. He shot down the hallway, following the display monitors to the source of the alarm. Superman floated outside the room and quickly flew after the Dark Knight, wondering if one of their captives had somehow broken free.

As Batman rounded one of the corners in the corridor, he could hear a sound emanating from deeper within the complex. The old walls had held up remarkably well, serving as excellent cushions from which to bounce acoustics off of. The sound seemed somehow familiar as he approached it, now with caution.

It was laughter.

Not just any laughter, but the signature insanity that was possessed by only one man that the Batman had the misfortune of crossing paths with time and again.

He redoubled his pace, ignoring Superman's calls from behind him. He heard the footsteps of other heroes, undoubtedly hurrying to the same area as him to check on the cause for alarm. He moved swiftly and efficiently, racing through the hallways. He had to get there first.

He came upon a stairwell, which he cleared in one leap. His cape fluttered out behind him but he paid it no mind. There was no need for dramatic entrances or shadowed stealth. This confrontation would be taken head on. As he rounded the final corner in the corridor, he saw the chalk white face of the man that had been laughing so incomprehensibly.

"Hiya, Bats!" the Joker exclaimed upon seeing the Dark Knight. "I was hoping you would get here first. Ha. Hehe. HahaHAHAHAAA!"

The Batman suppressed the urge to grab one of the various items around his utility belt. He didn't want to subdue the Joker with any kind of filament wire, taser line, gas pellet, or projectile. He clenched both of his fists together and stalked forward, his eyes never leaving the Joker's.

"What's the matter, Bats? Trouble in the ol' Cave? Hehehe…"

Batman threw a right cross that loosened one of the Joker's teeth. A knee drove into his stomach, causing him to buckle forward. The Batman's other fist crashed into the Joker in the form of an uppercut, knocking out the loose tooth entirely. He followed it up with a roundhouse that knocked the Joker back and down to the floor.

Throughout the assault the Joker retained his sickeningly wide smile.

"Hehe… No conversation, huh? No one-liners or questions? Sounds a little psychotic. No flying rodents left in the bell tower? Gee, Batty Boy…it's like we're brothers now! How about a hug? Ha!"

Batman's boot shot out against the Joker's face, forcing him back down to the floor. Drool and blood pooled under the madman, who swayed back and forth slightly as he propped himself back up by his elbows. His green hair was curled and droopy, covering his eyes. The chalky skin that looked almost like makeup was stained from the drops of blood that had spattered out of his mouth. His ruby red lips were still curled back in that insidious smile that looked like a never-ending taunt.

The Dark Knight cocked his fist back for another strike, intending for it to be his last. He had been close to the edge before, but with images of two of his wards lost to this particular scum blazing in his psyche, Batman was ready to plunge into the abyss.

A steel-like grip caught his fist before it could swing down. Batman ground his teeth and looked back over his shoulder to see Superman standing there, holding his wrist. He looked disappointed, but at the same time he seemed to understand. Superman had been close to the edge, too…but somehow he knew what it took to bring himself back before it was too late.

"No," was all Superman said.

Batman turned his neck even further and saw Wonder Woman, J'onn, and Green Lantern standing in the background, watching. None of them had moved closer, instead choosing to remain out of the way. They stared as Batman relaxed his arm, letting it slip from Superman's vice grip. The Dark Knight looked back at the Joker, kneeling down so that his face was closer to the Clown Prince of Crime.

His stare was almost strong enough to bore a hole through a solid steel door. The Joker met it unfazed…at least for a moment. Even the insanity that constantly jarred his mind was quieted by the feeling of utter loss and hopelessness that the look Batman possessed conveyed. Batman's greatest weapon was always intimidation.

"Your life belongs to me, Joker," Batman said with a low, gravely voice. "What are you doing here?"

The smile that was etched into his features fluttered slightly, but still remained even though the Joker was more scared of his archenemy that he ever had been before. "Just making a little _deposit_, Bats. Heh…"

The Batman looked up, noticing for the first time what room they were in. Down in the bowels of Happy Harbor rested a chamber that housed the utilities for the base. Electricity, sewage, air circulation, backup systems, and water.

The valve to the main emergency air supply had been turned, its markings skewed differently than all the others. Batman walked over to it smoothly, taking in all the details. The pressure in the tanks had changed, and to his knowledge this was the first time that any of them had even entered this specific room. There was a steady mix of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the tanks, but the gauges were monitoring a third element that it couldn't identify.

"He's poisoned the air we're breathing," Batman proclaimed.

Batman swiftly turned and grabbed the Joker by his purple collar, hoisting him off the ground by almost a full foot. Superman moved to steady his longtime ally, but a quick motion from Batman told him to stay put.

"What did you stir into the tanks, Joker?"

"Why, whatever do you mean, Bats?"

"When Deathstroke and the Shadow Thief stormed in, I saw one of the shadows slither off. It was you that Sands snuck in, wasn't it. They weren't here to break out the General…their real reason was to create a diversion big enough to distract us from your entrance. Why? So you could poison us? You'll die, too."

"I may be a clown, sir, but I am no spy!" the Joker said with a thick Southern accent as he shook a finger in the air. "Oh, wait, I suppose maybe I am. Fiddlesticks. Hehe! I wouldn't worry about me dying, Bats. I've developed an immunity to…oh, but I shouldn't spoil it for you!"

Batman's grip tightened around the Joker's lapels. His teeth gritted down hard, threatening to cut into his own gums. He thought of the avenues of pain that the Joker had driven him through over the years, always escaping when caught and always back with a new way to torment.

"Batman," Superman said.

"Not now."

But the Joker's face, which had changed from antagonizing glee into strange curiosity, made him take heed of Superman's attempt to gain his attention. He relaxed his grip and turned to see a battered looking man standing in the center of the room, complete with a cape and fedora hat. The heralding of this man had just changed the overall situation, possibly making it go from bad to worse.

"I bring tidings," the Phantom Stranger said. He was bruised and his clothes were in tatters. He stumbled and nearly fell, saying, "The war will end in…end in defeat."

Batman nearly dropped the Joker completely from the shocking arrival of the cosmic being that seemed almost depleted. The Stranger's fedora fell from his brow as he stumbled yet again, saved by the lithe arms of Wonder Woman. She held him fast, now searching the expressions of her comrades.

Whatever the Stranger's meaning, it did not bode well for them.

* * *

TO BE CONTINUED!


	6. Chapter 6

CHAPTER SIX

_Everywhere man blames nature and fate, yet his fate is mostly but the echo of his character and passions, his mistakes and weaknesses._

_-Democritus_

* * *

"Hey you holding up, kiddo?" Jay Garrick asked. 

"Well enough," Stargirl replied. She was lying on a bed in the medical wing, watching the monitor overhead display her vital statistics. Her cosmic rod, inherited from a lineage of heroes, was propped against the headboard. "I'd be a lot better if I was out of here, though."

Jay looked around the room to see several of the heroes spread out in a similar fashion as the youngest member of the JSA. Aquaman was finally rehydrated after his altercation with the Shadow Thief, but was still feeling weak. The Negative Man's monitor hadn't given an accurate reading regardless of the setting, and he was barely able to stand for more than a few minutes. Cyborg's body sat motionless as Green Lantern and J'onn both worked tirelessly to restore his systems.

"You're fairing better than most it seems, so you'll be out of here soon. You took a few good shots from both Livewire and Icicle, Courtney. It took a little while, but we brought your body temp back up to a steamy 98.6. I'm glad you're doing okay." Jay switched off the monitor and moved to sit down beside Stargirl's bed. "I was hoping to talk to you for a bit anyway. No time like the present."

Stargirl raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "Yeah? What's up?"

"Just before that first alarm, when we intercepted Star Sapphire and the rest, you and I were talking about some things."

"Sure, I remember."

"Do you remember mentioning something called the Speed Force?"

Stargirl blinked as the conversation came fully back to her. "Yeah, I do. I remember that you had a confused look on your face. Did I get the name wrong or something?"

"That's just it," Jay replied. "I don't know. Pretty much all of us are having memory problems prior to turning up on this dead Earth. There just seems to be one constant and that's our knowledge of ourselves. You know who you are and what you can do. You remember vital aspects of your past like who your family is, where you grew up…things like that. You understand how your powers work and where they come from, right?"

Stargirl nodded. "Right. So what are you saying, Jay?"

"I'm saying that I don't think we're from the same planet."

"I know there's some distance between today's youth and you older guys—"

"No," Jay said, shaking his head. "Hal and I were stabilizing everyone that needed medical attention, and I asked him about the Speed Force while you were unconscious. He explained the whole thing to me, and if I understand it right, the Speed Force is what powers speedsters."

A sudden understanding came over Stargirl. The Golden Age Flash, one of her mentors from the Justice Society of America, a man she knew she could trust in any situation, had stumbled upon a possible key to solving the mystery of this seemingly random war.

"Where I'm from speedsters gets their powers from something called the Quicksilver Key," Jay continued. "I found it while I was excavating some Mayan ruins in South America nearly fifty years ago. I passed it on to Barry Allen, who then passed it on to Wally West. Courtney, I've never heard of the Speed Force before… Do you understand what I'm telling you?"

She knew exactly what he was saying, but was too shocked to respond. If Jay was right, then that meant that none of them really knew who was who, or for that matter, who they could trust.

* * *

DCI Proudly Presents

JUSTICE WAR

#6 Written by D. Golightly

* * *

"I'd say that the tides of power just seriously shifted in our favor," the Shadow Thief said. 

The reviled subjugator of entire populations, Darkseid, stared down the massive bulk of General Wade Eiling without hesitation. The General returned the gaze, his arrogance and sense of self-worth fueling his discontent. In the background Carl Sands stood, freshly reconstituted from having suffered the fury of the General's anger. Deathstroke the Terminator wiped the fluid off of his knives, placing them back in his boots sure that Darkseid's presence would end all dispute.

"Where's Ares?" the General demanded. "If I'll be taking orders from anyone it'll be that inflated 'god'. He made promises to hold our alliance…what are you bringing to the table?"

Darkseid's eyes flashed, the powerful energies at his command sparking to a brilliant red. "Victory, you arrogant worm," he replied. "Your allegiance is demanded but not required. I will spread your atoms across the fire pits of Apokolips if I so deem. Now remove yourself from my path. I have an army to build so that very 'god' fulfills his promise to _me_."

The General pressed a giant palm against Darkseid's chest in defiance. "First off, whatever army you think you may have just ain't happening. More than half of our number has been captured already."

"No thanks to you, Eiling," Deathstroke said smoothly.

The General shot the mercenary a quick glance, flashing his teeth. Darkseid took advantage of the distraction, lowering his gaze to look at the large hand pressed against his chest. Red and white energy quickly built to a crescendo, unleashing in a blinding light. The power of the Omega Effect, one of the universe's most potent offensive forces, sliced into the synthetic flesh of the General. From his forearm down was completely vaporized, the shock of which made the General stumble back and fall over.

Screaming unintelligible noises, Eiling cradled his stump, hunched over what was left of his left arm. Darkseid briskly walked by the fallen villain, moving toward a row of wrecked computers. The General stared at his smoking stump, shocked by the fact that it hadn't yet started to reform.

"What…what the hell did you do to me?" the General demanded.

Without breaking stride, Darkseid answered, "The Omega Effect utterly destroys whatever I command it to. Even your impressive regenerative powers have been stunted simply by my will. Your appendage will never return."

As Darkseid began sifting through the wreckage in the Sinister Citadel, a gentle clapping began to reverberate from the opposing side of the room. All eyes save for mighty Darkseid's turned to see who would dare applaud such an atrocious act.

Adorned in blue armor, somehow thicker than his previous set, and now covered in rows of jagged spikes, with a billowing cape flowing behind him with folds that seemed to ripple in eternity, stood Ares. He smiled devilishly, his teeth now as jagged as the spikes lining his armor. Moreover, there was a power and invisible radiance to his presence that filled the room with a silent hum.

Behind him stood Metron, the fallen New God, and Neron, the broken lord of the underworld. Each of them stared blankly into space, their heads tilted slightly toward Ares in servitude. Wrapped around Ares' bulging arm was the seductress known as Circe, sharing the God of War's smile just as she would his bed.

"I agree, m'lord," Circe said. "You chose well when you sought out Darkseid. He will attain the last ounces of power you require easily."

"Yes, my queen," Ares replied. "As I'm sure he would tell you himself, none oppose Darkseid and live to tell the tale…except for myself, of course."

With a wave of his hand, Metron and Neron both became rigid and moved forward to Darkseid. One of the computers was once again online, which seemed to occupy Darkseid's complete attention. "I require no help," he said. "Save your peons the trouble of being in my way."

"They will aid in your search," Ares replied. "Their knowledge of other realms is even more impressive than yours. Use them, noble Darkseid."

Unwillingly, Darkseid allowed the pair to place themselves beside him while he continued to work. It infuriated him to have to obey the petty commands of his controller, but he complied.

"What search is that, m'lord?" Circe asked as she traced the etchings in Ares' armor.

Ares lifted his lady's chin with a finger, looking deep into her eyes while drinking in her beauty. "First, I apologize for allowing you to become captured, my dear, but other matters required my attention. The others may continue to rot with their captors…their requirement in my little game has been fulfilled. We are so close!"

"Think nothing of it, my husband."

"The insidious Stranger evacuated from my grasp somehow before I could crush him like the rest of the Quintessence, but no matter. I nearly have enough power to complete my task and open a gateway into the center of time and space. The search our esteemed conqueror is proceeding with will not only plant the seeds for my travels, but shall also provide us with a suitable army in order to decimate our opposition."

"And what about our payment?" Deathstroke asked.

"You shall be paid in full, as promised," Ares answered, his eyes never leaving Circe's. "A deal, as I am often told, is a deal."

"And what of the heroes?" the sorceress inquired. "Even as we speak they regroup, as I am sure you are aware."

"You have been witness to all the good it will do them. Let them come! We shall stand ready, and from that battle I will draw the last ounces of power necessary for me to attain victory. It shall come to pass just so…I have seen it."

* * *

"I'm not sure I understand you," Wonder Woman said. "Are you telling us that there is absolutely no way we can win?" 

The Phantom Stranger, now recovered but still visibly worn, nodded his head. "Not by your conventional means of victory, no."

Wonder Woman, Batman, and Superman all traded glances at the remark. Upon regaining his strength, the Stranger had called the three of them behind a closed door where they might discuss certain matters. The majority of the other heroes were kept busy with their newfound prisoners, along with the needs of their fallen.

The oval-shaped conference table sat between the Stranger and the three most recognizable figures in the heroic community. None of them had chosen to sit in the chairs as the gravity of their situation kept them from relaxing even slightly. The Stranger was still shrouded by his long cloak, but he had removed his signature fedora hat and placed it on the table. It was the most human-like motion that either of the three had ever seen from the Phantom Stranger.

"Is this what you came here to tell us?" Batman asked. "To just give up?"

"On the contrary," the Stranger replied. "I bring information. Information you may use to your advantage in this struggle for justice that has been thrust upon you."

"You've offered advice before," Superman interjected. "It always paid off in the end. Let's hear what you have to say."

"First, there is something you must understand. Although our paths have crossed at different points in this short existence you call time, know that it has not always been the same avatars who meet. There is an infinite set of possibilities, never ending regardless of your own faculties, and those instances seldom cross over to one another."

"What do you mean?" Superman asked.

"He's implying that whatever it is we're caught up in," Wonder Woman explained, "that there is more than just one reality at stake here."

The Stranger nodded, the folds of his cloak ruffling from the motion. "Indeed. It is obvious to you that this world is not your own…but then, whose is it? The instruction given to guide my actions limits my ability in times of crisis in that I, much like my brethren, cannot directly solve a problem for those involved. Instead I must always remain a stranger, only able to guide you in your time of need."

Superman looked at his companions before asking his next question. "Can you tell us why we're here?"

"The mad God of War, Ares, has swept you away from your homes and deposited you here so that he might gain direct power from your quarrel with those you call villains."

Diana's eyes bulged as anger quickly rose up from her deep well of emotion. Out of all of them, she had the most experience being on the receiving end of Ares' machinations. It was almost as if the god took some perverse pleasure in tormenting her and those she cared about. The handful of times she had clashed with Ares had resulted in nothing but fatigue, neither of them ever truly falling for good.

"That explains why Circe has gone missing while the rest were left behind," Batman observed.

"Ares," Wonder Woman muttered, as if the name of their antagonist was cursed. "What does that fool hope to accomplish by all this?"

"As I said, Ares seeks to draw out the power generated by the waves of your war. He placed you here and pointed you at each other, readying his funnel to feed. As the god of such, that is his prerogative, however he was unable to do such things before. Somehow he was even able to reform the Quintessence, seeking to attack us and draw out the massive power generated by the act. My brothers fell, but I managed to bend my will against his and slip between the fabrics of space to land here, in this small place of refuge."

"But how?" Batman inquired. "From my understanding Ares has always been a petty and rash warmonger. You said he wasn't able to do such things before. What's changed?"

"From my observations I have gathered this: at some point in the future, after the fall of the Fourth World, Ares was able to grapple away the device known as the worlogog from Metron. By mixing his own magicks with the Fourth World technology Ares' power increased tenfold, delving into realms of power that even I dare not step foot in. He was then able to subdue and control both Metron of the New Gods and Neron, once more arisen to the status of a demon lord. With them by his side his power increased yet again, making him a foe strong enough to topple even the mighty Quintessence."

The Man of Steel pondered the information, tossing it back and forth in his mind to try and look at things from different angles. They were getting answers finally, but it seemed as though only more questions arose. "We've had problems stemming from the worlogog before," Superman said. "I thought its threat had been taken care of. Apparently nothing ever is. Why does he want with the worlogog?"

"The finite device," the Stranger began, "is in actuality a map of all time and space. Housed inside its tiny structure rests the keys to infinite glory and power. To access the map fully, however, Ares must first unlock it. That is ultimately why he draws power from you: he seeks to unravel the worlogog itself. Already because of his fiddling with the device, forcing his magicks into its inner workings, he has moved the end of existence's place in the timestream up."

The Batman, mostly concealed behind his cape, stood motionless. Ever since the fall of his adoptive ward he had been even more removed than usual from the group. J'onn had mentioned concern to Superman about Bruce Wayne's state of mind, but the fact was that the Dark Knight's reasoning was as intact as it ever was.

"According to what Arthur, Wally and Kyle reported in their own original search for the worlogog, nothing can be as it seems," Batman stated. "Our reality might be changing, especially when time travel is involved. We're wasting time here."

"To proceed in normal fashion would be unwise," the Stranger stated. "Ares will only gain more power from your useless brawls. I estimate he only needs a small amount added at this point for him to accomplish his goal."

"Riddles, questions, innuendo, and dancing around the subject will not help!" Wonder Woman said. "Your ridiculous crusade to show up and barely give answers just won't cut it here, not when Ares is involved and so much is on the line. If we cannot attack, then how do you suggest we go about stopping him?"

"Diana," Superman said calmly. "Easy. Our first priority is to bring the others up to speed. Then we'll coordinate how to handle Ares."

"I would advise against telling the others all that I have told you," the Stranger intervened. "You must stop Ares…that is your priority. Knowledge is power, and in this case, the more the knowledge of differing realms clashing spreads the more powerful it becomes. Tell your soldiers if you must, but be warned: you risk destruction."

"Again you speak in riddles!" Wonder Woman said heatedly. "We can't directly confront Ares and now we can't tell our comrades the full situation! Why?"

"I have revealed more than I should have to the three of you because of your specific relation to this matter. Your memories were altered for the express purpose of keeping _this_ reality from ending prematurely. Ares seeks entrance to a concept that you all are familiar with. However, I must admit that I have retained specific details to keep you safe. I say again: defeat Ares, then all will be as it was meant to be."

"I don't trust you," Batman said.

"Be that as it may, I do not spin falsehoods."

The trio exchanged glances one last time, each of them of similar mind. They had each gone through trials before, even ones so heinous that they were nearly driven insane. In the end it really made no difference what the consequences. They were heroes, defenders of truth and seekers of justice. Selflessness was part of their weaponry, as was the ability to do the impossible.

A silence fell over them. The Phantom Stranger placed his fedora back upon his brow, casting a shadow over the top of his face once more. It was time to make a decision.

"We'll leave immediately then," Superman said. "Just the three of us. If we can't explain everything to the others than we have no right to ask them to stand by us. They can watch over the prisoners and look after the wounded."

Wonder Woman nodded as she rubbed the unbreakable bracelets around her wrists. "What about the poison?" Diana asked. "The Joker—"

"Dispersed an aerosol into the air supply comprised of two toxins. The first is an aflatoxin produced by two fungi called _Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus_," Batman answered. "It can severally affect the liver if left untreated, causing mild fever, paralysis, and eventual death. It slows our metabolisms, making the second toxin, Venom, seep into our bloodstreams slowly."

"Joker infected us with Venom?" Superman exclaimed, shocked.

Batman remained stoic, as if all of this information were unimportant. "Yes," the Dark Knight replied. "I…_spoke_ with Joker. I estimate within the next several hours we'll all begin showing bouts of increased aggression, strength, and even insanity."

Over the years the trio had come to know each other more personally than most men and women do. Through their efforts in the battlefield, and their own struggles with personal demons, they relied on each other for support. As Wonder Woman lifted a hand to place on Batman's shoulder, he withdrew. His cape fluttered slightly as he pulled his broad shoulder away, turning slightly to face the far side of the room and away from the others. Wonder Woman frowned and looked to Clark, who shook his head gently.

"We need to hurry then," Superman said. "We'll think of a plan on the way. Stranger," he said, turning to face the enigmatic cosmic being, "Handle the others as you see fit. I trust you. This is our responsibility now."

The trio exited the conference room, their demeanor still intact even though their fates seemed imminent. The odds stacked against them didn't matter; they had withstood worse. Time and again the future of the universe had been tipped by their steady hands, and they were confident that it could be done this time as well.

The Phantom Stranger watched them leave, waiting for their departure before moving forward with the next portion of his plan. The strange and mystical energies at his command sparked to life, summoning the one agent on the planet that had the power to save them all. For all their experience and fortitude Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman would not be able to triumph alone.

A swirling light formed a few feet in front of the Stranger, flashing quickly before dissipating. When the energy had been formed now stood a bandaged man wearing a long trenchcoat.

"What's going on?" the Negative Man asked.

"There is much to reveal to you, and time is against us," the Stranger answered.

With another flash of light, both champions disappeared completely from the room. The empty conference table sat ominously among the tattered walls of the old Justice League base, silently waiting for the end of all that is.

* * *

The Sinister Citadel lied in ruins, barely able to stand by its own supports. Standing atop a decimated building Superman surveyed the scene. The still functional League transporter had deposited them in San Francisco, only a few miles from the Citadel. The trio was shocked to see that the city had also been virtually destroyed. It was as if the entire landscape had been shaken until the large towers of commerce and hospitality had fallen. 

"Hera help us," Wonder Woman said. "What could have done this?"

"The answer to that would probably explain which Earth we're on," Batman responded, as he checked several instruments from his utility belt. "We need to move. I'm sure Ares is already aware of—"

Reverberating laughter suddenly cut through his words, echoing off of the wreckage within the destroyed city. Invisible walls of force knocked them all over, cast by an unseen hand. The ground shook violently as the top of the Citadel exploded out, opening it like a blister.

"Move!" Batman ordered.

As the Dark Knight righted himself, the bottom of Deathstroke's boot crashed down into the base of his skull. He rolled with the hit, springing back up to his feet just in time to see the assassin that had taken something valuable away from him.

"Ambush!" Diana called out as she dodged a tethered whip of darkness thrown out by the Shadow Thief.

Anger flashed before Batman's eyes at the site of Deathstroke as he charged forward. The two traded blows back and forth as Batman pressed his advance. Deathstroke's sword cut through the air, slicing off sections of the Dark Knight's cape.

Superman leapt into the air to intercept the quarreling pair, but found himself suddenly occupied with the bulky form of the General. Minus his left hand, the General shoved his fused stump into the Kryptonian's stomach and knocked him back through the terrain, leaving a trench in his wake.

"No!" Diana screamed as she contained the shadowy form of Carl Sands with her golden lasso. The magic of the talisman that was her weapon of choice sparked a recognition of truth in the villain's mind, converting him back into human form. The shock of having his mind physically wrenched free of the shadows left him gasping for air. "Contain them; don't fight back! We can't risk fueling Ares even more than we already have!"

The laughter died away into the deep baritone voice of Ares himself. "So sorry to disappoint, princess," the God of War said as he arose through the freshly blasted hole in the top of the Citadel. "But it is already too late! Witness the gates open as I unfurl the secrets of the worlogog!"

Circe, Metron, Neron, and Darkseid all floated under Ares as the worlogog suddenly appeared in his hands. His sharp teeth curled into a grimace as he slid his fingers into the moving parts of the worlogog, slowly pulling back the shards that embodied the device.

The strain of such an act showed as sweat formed on Ares forehead. Wisps of power radiated off of him as he exerted enough pressure to unravel the bound pieces of the New Gods' technology. Slowly, the worlogog's inner workings began to separate. A shimmering portal opened above them all, catching the attention of even the aggressive General and Deathstroke. Their fighting ceased as they watched entire legions of black creatures spill through the portal, flanking the position of Ares and his allies.

"You pathetic wastes of life know nothing of what connects the multiverse! In that realm between realms is where I shall become the god of gods! With my army amassed," Ares screamed over the roaring power that he had birthed into their reality, _"I shall have dominion over all __**hypertime!**_

* * *

TO BE CONTINUED!


	7. Chapter 7

CHAPTER SEVEN

_Every man will fall, though born a man, proudly presumes to be a superman._

_-Sophocles_

* * *

"You play the endgame well, my husband," Circe said as she gripped Ares' arm tightly. Her eyes were nearly burned from being so close to the massive amounts of reality-bending energy she stared at. If it was not for her own powerful abilities she might have been unable to remain by the God of War's side. 

"With brutal and simplistic specimens such as these," Ares replied, "it was all too easy. They are so eager to fight and pay homage to my namesake."

The black humanoid creatures, at least a hundred in number, formed a circle around Ares and his gathered minions. Metron and Neron continued to watch on with their blank expressions, their eyes remaining unfocused on the matter at hand. Darkseid made sure to pay careful attention to what Ares was attempting, making sure that there would be no double-cross.

Hovering above the ruins of the Sinister Citadel, Ares grimaced with his fanged teeth as he drank in the scene laid out before him. Only three of the challengers, which he himself had originally gathered, had come to oppose him. He reasoned that the Phantom Stranger, the thorn that he was, had provided them with a base explanation that had given them the courage to come. Noble, but foolish.

The heavens were ablaze from the radiance of the hole that Ares had forced open, juxtaposing the dark and shadowy wasteland that had once been San Francisco. Their battleground had been set.

"You did well, Darkseid," Ares said with a casual glance over his shoulder. "You searched through the remnants of the realm others have dubbed as hypertime exquisitely. These dark vessels shall serve perfectly within my army."

"_My_ army," Darkseid replied. His arms, up until now crossed over his barreled chest, lowered to his sides as he balled his massive hands into fists. "You charged me with finding these…_things_, and I have done so. The dimensional gateway I originally installed when I founded the Citadel was able to serve as a window into the void, using the locations your two puppets were able to supply me with. You said they would be my army to use as I see fit, as long as the deaths of the heroes were attained. Need I remind you of your additional promise?"

"The Anti-Life Equation. No, I remember our bargain, and I shall honor it. However, unless my divine eyes deceive me, the heroes in question seem to still be alive. Therefore, your part of the deal has yet to be fulfilled. This is your world after all…shouldn't they be your responsibility?"

"Enough!" Darkseid screamed. "I've withheld my wrath for too long! I demand my payment!"

The energy that flowed out of the rupture in time and space flinched as the anger built up within Ares. He had successfully unraveled the worlogog, and as a result was now connected to another dimension. The god's eyes glowed with the pulsing hue as the tear in reality.

Ares ripped his gaze away from Darkseid and outstretched his hands toward both Metron and Neron. His sigils carved into his armor, now bulkier from his absorbed power, began to glow varying shades of color. Strings of white energy lanced forth from his fingertips and cut into the necks of his two broken followers. They screamed in pure pain, even as their forms dissipated into translucent clouds of light particles. Ares withdrew his thin tendrils of energy, happily watching the remains of two powerful beings mesh with the cosmic breach that hung over them.

"Now," Ares spoke as he slowly turned back to face Darkseid, "bring me the heads of those interlopers as a tribute. I am a true god, lest you forget the consequences of defying me. Listen. And. Obey."

* * *

DCI Proudly Presents

JUSTICE WAR

#7 Written by D. Golightly

* * *

General Wade Eiling wasn't accustomed to being thrown about like a rag doll. Even before he had stolen the body of the original Shaggy Man, a synthetic and mindless creature that was virtually immortal, the General was used to being the alpha male in any given situation. After he had taken over the powerhouse of a body that had been stored away in the ocean depths, the General's inflated ego only grew in size. 

So when Superman punched a whole straight through his chest and kicked him through three buildings, the General was more than a little shocked.

The wound began to heal instantly, but the General's impressive healing factor was beginning to become strained. As he righted himself among the rubble of a once three tier tower, Eiling's ears perked up from the sound of a high-pitched whistle.

Superman dove down through the air like a missile, slamming into the General and forcing him back down into the rubble. The Man of Steel's eyes glowed a fiery red as his impressive powers caused the General's skin to ignite in flames.

Even though Eiling had distrusted and even hated Superman nearly from the first day he had seen the news footage of his debut, he had never feared him. Now, as Superman broke his ribs again and again, snapping them nearly as fast as they mended, he saw in the hero a bloodlust that he had never seen before.

"I'll keep tearing you down until there's nothing left for you to regenerate, Eiling!" Superman screamed.

The Man of Steel hefted the General up onto his shoulders and launched back into the sky. Just as he was about to leap off in pursuit, a thick cord wrapped itself around him, trapping his arms to his sides. The fury housed within him, brought about by some unknown cause, made him wrench left and right in an attempt to escape the confines of the rope.

"_Kal-El!"_

Superman followed the cord up to its holder, a well-endowed woman that he recognized as being of his most trusted friends. Wonder Woman yanked on her golden lasso, tightening the loops that held Superman in place.

"Now that I have your attention," she said, "maybe I can get you to calm down before you kill someone. You've always been susceptible to magic, Clark. My lasso is no exception. Not to be corny here, but the truth shall set you free."

The angrily contorted features on Superman's face quickly subsided as the magic of Wonder Woman's lasso began to affect him. His mind suddenly became clearer, now able to focus and push through the fog that had clouded it. His actions made him ashamed, but he kept his chin up.

"What…what came over me?"

"It's the Venom," Diana answered as she allowed the lasso to fall from his body. "It's starting to take a hold of us, just like Bruce predicted. You have to keep it together, Clark. We can't afford to lose it now, not when there's so much on the line."

Before he could answer, a roaring cyclone of muscle crashed into him feet first. The General had quickly made his way back while Wonder Woman had distracted Superman, using the opportunity to drop all of his strength on the Man of Steel. His boots, already worn down from their first battle, pounded against Superman's head one after the other. The stomping rattled the surrounding rubble like a subway car rumbling by.

"Back off!" Wonder Woman commanded as she flew in close and struck the General on his prominent chin. She threw a right cross, followed by a left, and then another right. The enormous pressure behind her blows had been empowered by the gods themselves, and would not cease until her foe had fallen. So was the way of the Amazon.

The General stumbled back under her onslaught, giving Superman all the leverage he needed to rise up and tip the General off balance. Moving faster than the eye could follow, Superman shot out of the hole that Eiling had pounded him into, grabbing the General's stump that had once been his left arm as he rose.

Pulling his attacker with him, Superman built up his momentum as he flew higher into the sky. When they had reached a suitable height, Superman pulled up on the General's arm, releasing him straight up into the outer atmosphere. Within a moment the General was no more than a speck in the cascading skyline, growing smaller by the second.

"Not a long term solution," Wonder Woman appraised as she floated up beside Superman. "But that will suffice."

"We won't be in this for much longer anyway," the Man of Steel replied. "We're wasting too much time fighting down here, when we should be fighting up there." He pointed toward the legions of swirling black figures that surrounded Ares and Circe. They couple ignored them, their attention focused entirely on the lesion in reality hanging over their heads. "I heard Ares mention something about hypertime. If he's doing what I think he's doing—"

"Then you're right," Wonder Woman interjected. "We're wasting time."

"Where's Bruce?"

"After I took care of the Shadow Thief, I came to help you. He's still fighting Deathstroke from what I can tell."

Superman peered at the ground below them, his keen vision allowing him to see the decimated landscape. "He is. Great Scott…We need to stop him before he does something he'll regret."

"But Ares—"

"Our job isn't worth doing if we can't even protect the ones we care about. Besides, we'll need all the help we can get."

Superman leaned forward and rocketed back down to terra firma. Wonder Woman cast a glance up at Ares, mashing her teeth together just from the sight of him. Regrettably, she pulled her head away and shifted her momentum to plunge down after her comrade in arms.

* * *

The heel of Batman's boot wiped across Deathroke's face, nearly shattering his jaw. The mercenary tried to roll with the hit, but the sheer force from Batman's kick sent him sprawling onto the ground. 

The Dark Knight's cowl was as much a part of his identity as his personality. His general appearance, inspired by chance, was what drove home the fear of his own urban legend. He had learned long ago that criminals were a cowardly and superstitious lot, their egos easily folding from one glance at his masked face.

Now, as poison ran through his blood, he had removed his cowl to reveal thumping veins lining his neck and forehead. Pure rage had overtaken him even as he tried to fight off the Venom. Deathstroke looked at Bruce Wayne's contorted face with a slight shiver of terror. The Batman looked as insane as the criminals he pursued.

"There's no end to scum like you!" Batman howled. "You'll just keep coming and coming…locking you up isn't enough! You'll always break free, returning to exact some twisted sense of revenge or perverted justice."

Slade Wilson backed up on his elbows. His tunic was shredded from the onslaught that Batman had brought on and his weapons had mostly been disarmed. It was rare that a foe would be able to humble him as the maddened Batman had done. Deathstroke's increased strength, speed, endurance, and tactical genius had kept him alive so far, but as the Venom took a deeper hold over the Dark Knight he knew it was only a matter of time before his defeat.

Gripping a shaped charge off of his belt, Deathstroke launched the explosive at his manic attacker, ignoring the fact that Batman's close proximity would probably ensure his own death. Desperation had set in and now blind luck would decide his fate.

Snatching the charge out of the air, Batman palmed the explosive and locked his eyes onto Deathstroke. Spittle ran down Batman's chin, adding to the illusion of his lost sanity. The Dark Knight, wanting nothing more than the death of the man who had killed his adoptive ward, a man who embodied the very beast he had fought against for all these years, screamed as he hurled the shaped charge back at Deathstroke.

A rush of wind accompanied the blur of red and blue that planted itself between the two fighters. Batman flinched back as Superman used his heat vision to deactivate the charge, letting it drop to the ground uselessly. Wonder Woman dropped down behind the Man of Steel, knocking out the surprised Deathstroke with a single hit.

"Bruce," Superman said. "Calm down. You're not yourself."

Years of anguish, pushed down by sheer willpower, brimmed on the surface of Batman's mind. The anger and resentment from being unable to do everything he had sworn to do was held aloft by the Venom surging through his veins, threatening to send him into cardiac arrest. Even after Diana's magical lasso, which should have revealed the truth to him and unlocked his hampered mind, wrapped around him, Batman still fumed and spouted like a warhound.

Superman sighed, saying, "This is for your own good, Bruce."

The Man of Steel slapped his friend and confidant across the face, leaving a sweltering red mark on his cheek. Batman's head spun to the side, the look of aggression starting to fade from his face. After a few heartbeats he turned back to face Superman, and then to Wonder Woman. The effects of the lasso took hold, freeing his mind, even temporarily, from the poisonous fluid that was uncontrollably metabolizing inside him.

"I've wanted to do that for years," Superman said with a wry smile. "No need to thank me."

"Wasn't planning on it," Batman shot back curtly as he replaced his cowl. He could still feel the Venom trying to overtake him, but for the moment it had subsided.

"What's our next step?" Wonder Woman asked as she rallied in her golden lasso. The warrior's cry deep inside her was begging to be let out, especially with the not so gentle nudge of the Venom. Now that the trio had regrouped they could assess the situation and formulate a plan, which would go far to ease her thirst for battle.

"Next," Darkseid calmly said as he lowered toward them, "you die. I'll bathe in your blood, you weak, pathetic fools."

All three heroes whirled around to face one of the few figures in the universe that could threaten them collectively. The rigid stone-like face of Darkseid would never hold sympathy for beings he deemed lower than himself. There would be no reasoning with him. To Darkseid, there was never an answer he could not obtain without force.

Superman leapt into the air, choosing to strike the first blow. His fist crashed against Darkseid's chin, sending a shockwave rippling through the air. "What's your stake in this?" Superman demanded. "I don't believe for a second that the mighty Darkseid would ally himself with someone like Ares so easily."

Darkseid blocked the next punch and returned it with one of his own. His gloved hand impacted with the Man of Steel's nose, driving him back. "Ah, Kal-El," Darkseid said. "Always questioning that which you do not understand. Once the Anti-Life Equation is in my hands, you will no longer bear that burden. Your will shall mingle with my own, and the only anecdote you would try to utter would be my glorious name."

Blow upon blow rained down on Superman as Darkseid's fist pounded like jackhammers. "That still…doesn't answer…the question," Superman managed to say.

"Did you never wonder whose world you were in?" Darkseid drove his knee into the Kryptonian's stomach, following it up with a powerful uppercut. "Ares gathered you from across the multiverse and brought you here, to _my_ universe. This Earth has already fallen under my hand, yet I still did not discover the Equation. I can only assume that my counterparts from your scattered worlds have done the same. Ares has promised—"

"You're a fool, Darkseid," the Man of Steel declared. Quickly taking in a lungful of air, he spat it back out with the power of a hurricane. The ruler of Apokolips tumbled back head over heals, cursing the unexpected attack.

Wonder Woman gracefully floated beside Superman, making sure he was steady enough to continue the fight. "Clark—"

"Don't worry about me!" he commanded. "Take Bruce and go after Ares! I'll handle Darkseid."

The princess of the Amazons bit her tongue for the second time, deciding that he was right. There were more important things at stake than the comfort of a friend, let alone the fact that the friend in question was Superman. If anyone could hold their own against Darkseid, it would be him.

Uncoiling her lasso, she slipped the length of rope down to the ground where the awaiting Batman grabbed it. She hoisted him into the air like a wrecking ball, and sped toward Ares, Circe, and their encircling army of strange black creatures.

"You shouldn't allow them to flee to their deaths needlessly, Kal-El," Darkseid said as he dove toward Superman once more. "You cannot win! Struggle as you might, you will only empower Ares all the more! Why not lie down and accept your fate?"

Superman flexed his fingers before squeezing them into fists. "That's why you'll never really win, Darkseid. You just don't understand what it is to have free will."

The Man of Steel's eyes flashed red just as Darkseid's flashed a brilliant white. The Omega Effect launched forth, driving toward Superman where it met the thin beams of energy that comprised the hero's heat vision. The two blasted together in a massive explosion that sent both opponents flying back.

It was only a matter of moments before both of them were upright once more, charging back into the fray with nothing but attainable victory on their lips.

* * *

"Is it time?" 

"No," the Phantom Stranger replied to his associate. "Be patient. We will only have one chance. To rush into it fool heartedly could spell doom."

"I know all about doom."

"Then you can appreciate the gravity of the situation. Be leery…it is almost time."

* * *

"Are you sure?" Diana asked. 

"Positive."

Inhaling deeply, Wonder Woman complied with her partner's request. Spinning Batman around at the end of her lasso, she angled him so that when he let go he sailed directly into Circe. The sorceress never saw the Dark Knight coming, so engrossed was she with the cosmic events unfolding above her.

The creatures revolving around them suddenly scattered as their newfound empress fell. Their bodies, somehow pulsating in time with the radiating energy of the tear in reality, convulsed in what could be conveyed as anger. Wonder Woman watched Batman tumble through the clouds with Circe, wondering if it would be the last time she ever saw them.

"Who dares?!" Ares roared. The empowered God of War levitated down from the heavens where he had been resting in front of the gateway, drinking in its ambience.

"It's over, Ares," Wonder Woman said.

"Oh, is it, little girl? Funny how a statement like that seems so hollow at a time like this. You should be thanking me, as you are about to bear witness to my rise to ungodly power!"

Ares licked his lips with a long, unnatural tongue as he approached. Diana gripped her lasso in her hands tightly, preparing herself for whatever trials came to claim her.

* * *

Batman's momentum, coupled with the surprise of his attack, enabled him to grip the sorceress by the neck in a chokehold. The pair fell through the clouds, approaching the rushing ground. 

"You're mad!" Circe accused.

"No," Batman replied, forcing the breath through his mouth against the roaring rind. "But I do remember my lessons from Zatanna. Magic, no matter how potent, will always need a conduit."

He slapped a small silver disc against Circe's forehead before she could respond. Curling his legs up to his chest, Batman pushed off of Circe and spread out his cape, catching the drafts of wind that forced his arms to part. Activating the skeletal components of his cape, they formed into wings, allowing him to drift downward with control.

Circe screamed as she finally ceased her own fall. Summoning the magic at her command, her hands began to glow an incandescent pink. The small disc on her scalp hummed to life and began to shimmer with the same energy. Circe's eyes tightened in curiosity just before the feedback of her own powers sliced into her body. The magicks charging in her hands leapt up to meet the disc on her forehead, which promptly exploded.

Unconscious, she fell into the opened arms of Batman, who glided down to the decimated structure of the Citadel below them.

"I hate magic," Batman said quietly as he placed Circe's unmoving form onto the remnants of the roof. He looked up to see Diana engaging Ares, eagerly looking for some way he could help.

Time was against them.

* * *

"Your tampering has disrupted the flow of time!" Wonder Woman accused as the pair began to circle one another. "You can't possibly comprehend hypertime. There is no endpoint; there is no beginning. Thanks to you we'll soon all be wiped from existence! The Kingdom that resides on the other side of that portal was never meant to be accessed." 

Ares rushed forward and grabbed Wonder Woman's throat in between his fingers, squeezing just enough to keep her from breathing. "You still don't understand, do you, little peon? The worlogog, now unraveled, has allowed me to control all of hypertime. You were all brought here as a means an end, nothing more. When I first took charge of the device, liberating it from that fool Metron, I easily plucked all of you so-called heroes from your varying universes. Hypertime is so much more than just a highway of cosmic roadways between dimensions!

"By taking the brashest of you from your own worlds I guaranteed opposing sides that would crave war! Your first bout in this game of mine is proof of that: your enemies merely showed up on your front door and you attacked, without even knowing their true intentions! You mortals are so eager to fight, it is no wonder I am able to do the things I have done."

Struggling against his powerful grip, Wonder Woman felt the Venom inside her begin to take affect once more. Her magically endowed powers mixed with the poison, unbridled by the surge of adrenaline she received from being so close to defeat. The warrior within would not allow her to fall so easily, especially not at the hands of a villain like Ares.

She peeled several of the fingers away from her throat, gritting her teeth from the effort. Her tiara shattered from the head butt she pushed away Ares with. Her long boots did little to keep her legs from bruising as she gracefully kicked the God of War again and again. She drove him back, even succeeding in cracking his blue and black armor. The sigils' glow began to fade as she pounded away, relentlessly unleashing her full strength on the god.

But it was all for naught.

Ares caught her fist and twisted it, breaking her wrist. He scolded her as he drove his knee into her chin, only to pull her back by the same arm he still gripped. His eyes glowed as the stolen power at his command began to collect, washing over Diana as waves of pure agony.

"Such a waste," he said. "You cannot fight the God of War and expect to win, princess. I _am_ power incarnate now!"

Diana screamed as the energy encapsulated her. Her cries of agony soon ceased, however, as her vocal cords reverted back to what they had been molded from. Her skin seemed to dry up as it dinged and began to crack. Her hair became course and hard. Her pupils were the last to change, which remained transfixed on Ares.

Once upon a time, Wonder Woman, princess of the Amazons, had been molded from clay. Ares ripped the life out of her, extinguishing her very soul with his power, returning her back to nothing more than sculpted stone.

"Goodbye, little girl," Ares said as he let the statue fall away from his grasp. "Give my regards to Lord Hades…"

As the statue fell, Ares turned his attention back to the gathered black creatures and the unveiled portal that would grant him access to ultimate power over time and space. He laughed manically, ensured that there would be no stopping him now that the supposed heroes had all been defeated.

The creatures, comprised of the some kind of dark energy, swarmed around him tighter and tighter until they formed a solid black wall. The vortex birthed out a sudden burst of energy, which was funneled in by the rotating creatures, feeding it directly into Ares.

The God of War laughed. There was no one left to oppose him. He reached out and grasped the edge of the portal, hauling himself up into its depths, and into a blinding arena beyond the unknown.

* * *

TO BE CONCLUDED!


	8. Chapter 8

CHAPTER EIGHT

_It is in justice that the ordering of society is centered._

_-Aristotle_

* * *

Superman screamed in pain as the Omega Effect took hold of him. The searing beams of energy cut into his costume, shredding his cape and burning his skin. There were few things that could cause harm to the Man of Steel, but the power of Darkseid was more intense than any of them. 

"A savior is only as good as his last act," Darkseid stated as he watched his power torment Superman. "The Superman of my world imprisoned me as his last dying act. Now I am free and finally able to exact my revenge on you, even if you aren't the same ignorant Kryptonian."

The wrecked city of San Francisco sat under them, already a victim to Darkseid's forces. Superman, along with Batman and Wonder Woman, had chosen to make a last ditch effort to thwart Ares and his minions. As stars bordered Clark Kent's vision, he wondered if they had made a mistake in leaving the rest of their peers out of the confrontation.

It had been the Phantom Stranger's words that made them decide to exclude Hal, Jay, and all the others. Now that Ares had apparently shown his hand with his announced plans of conquering all of hypertime, the Stranger's reasoning began to make sense.

Superman's breath gave out from wailing. He had tasted the Omega Effect before, but the stabbing energy could be refocused it many different ways, ways that Darkseid had yet to unveil. Not wholly magic, not wholly science, the source of Darkseid's nearly infinite power seemed more than a match for the last son of Krypton.

Darkseid smiled as he floated closer to Superman, drinking in the image of his smoldering body. He hated many beings across the universe, but never had there been one so repugnant to defy him time and again. He would not make the same mistakes he had before when this opportunity was within reach. He would kill his opponent outright, leaving his carcass to rot in the fire pits of Apokolips.

As Darkseid's eyes flashed just before he was about to redouble the strength of his Omega Beams, an echoing noise blasted close by, familiar in its sound. A blur of motion caught his attention. Something slammed into his midsection, forcing him away from Superman, the shock of which cut off his energy assault. He placed a hand where he had been struck, feeling his rage boil to a quickened height from the idea that someone would dare touch him.

The familiar noise made sense to him now: a boom tube.

His eyes focused on an arrogant witch that had often times been the bane of his followers. Her blue, red, and golden chassis covered her body. A Mega Rod was raised over her head as she screamed a battle cry that would make his own troops cringe. He returned her cry with one of his own, audibly challenging her to strike him again.

Big Barda, swooping down passed Superman on her aerial discs, accepted the challenge and raced to practice her art. The two titans of the Fourth World clashed, shaking the foundations of the hollow Sinister Citadel below them.

"Where did—" Superman started to say.

A green hand gently placed itself on Superman's shoulder, causing him to turn quickly. "Relax, Clark," the Martian Manhunter said calmly. "The cavalry has arrived. Regain yourself and let us take up the fight."

J'onn lowered his arm and headed for the dueling pair flashing light across the horizon. Superman focused his attention on a green bubble quickly approaching, filled with those they had chosen to leave behind for the world's safety. To their credit, they looked ready to end this struggle one way or the other, which helped Superman regain his composure.

Reinforcements had come. The war was not lost yet.

* * *

DCI Proudly Presents

JUSTICE WAR

#8 Written by D. Golightly

* * *

He stood before ultimate power. In the recesses of space folded between the normal continuum, Ares, the God of War, had finally gained entrance to a realm that very few knew existed. White and yellow energies washed over him, fueling his stolen power. He allowed a few tendrils of his magicks to mingle with the strange realm, fascinated by its texture. 

Thanks to the unraveled worlogog, he would now be able to take this dimension between dimensions as his own, and with it the means to rule all of existence. The mighty Quintessence, in all of their supreme arrogance, had not even been able to stop him. What were the puny heroes gathered behind him if not an unwelcome annoyance?

Black creatures composed of dark energy encircled him. They had quickly come back through the gateway he had entered and surrounded him, obeying their new master. Ares couldn't help but chuckle as he watched his chosen warriors prepare to smite whomever he deemed worthy to feel his wrath first. He had never dreamed that crossing over into hypertime would be so easy.

"Ares!"

The chuckle caught itself in the God of War's throat. Even in his moment of triumph, there seemed to be an interloper. He ground his teeth, now jagged and sharp like blades, as he found the source of the intruder in his new home.

"Ah," Ares said. "For someone who has vowed to always remain a stranger, you certainly deem it necessary to involve yourself in my affairs as of late."

The Phantom Stranger stood in the doorway that had been ripped asunder from the fabric of reality. Behind him lay the wasteland that had been San Francisco, ominous in its presence concerning Ares' plans for his newfound powers. His form remained shrouded by his billowing cloak, as did his face from his tilted fedora hat.

"I would not involve myself if you would not force my hand," the Stranger replied. "Even after you pulled my brothers out of their realities to reform the Quintessence, a shadow of what it should have been I admit, I still did not wish to act. But I see now that merely observing is no longer suitable, not when you dabble in things you cannot control."

"_I_ cannot control? Ridiculous. I'm no longer shackled by the restraints of simple godhood. Now I am a god of gods, able to rip beings from whatever reality they reside in. I can travel between times lost and times yet to come! Gaze upon my greatness…and beg for mercy!"

The Phantom Stranger remained still, undeterred by Ares' posing. "The recent crisis allowed you an opportunity that you could not walk away from," the Stranger added. "Your will was not strong enough to control your own desires, your ambition blinding you from the consequences, and now you think you can actually grip not one reality, but an infinite number of them?"

"Why not?" Ares shot back. "Even before I gained mastery over the worlogog I was able to pull the so-called heroes and villains to this world. I plucked them from their own worlds like so much trash and deposited them here to fight and give me power. Using their own worlds as a path to find these creatures," he said, motioning to the swirling black humanoids around him, "I have ensured my success. I wiped their memories so they couldn't endanger the delicate sheet that is hypertime. If they were to gain knowledge of their altered realities then those same worlds would start to meld, destroying the multiple universes in one fell swoop."

"My memory was not removed."

"Yes… The Lords of Chaos and Order saw to that, didn't they, Stranger?"

"All across the infinite multiverse there is but one Stranger. You cannot alter me regardless of your stolen power."

"And yet you do not openly defy me!" Ares accused. "For all your power, what are you? A coward who will not fight, but merely tell others what to do."

"I have been given…_permission_ by the Voice to act, warmonger, but not against you."

Ares threw his head back in laughter. "If not me, then who? Your riddles are—"

"Against the army you have retained for yourself."

The Phantom Stranger opened the folds of his cloak and rocketed away from the cosmic opening he had been standing in. He engaged the amassed black creatures, breaking their formation and grabbing two of them with each hand. He squeezed their necks until they struggled no longer, absorbing their dark energy into himself. Ares watched in horror as the Stranger captured another pair and began the same process over again.

The creatures, hundreds in number, swarmed around the Stranger, clawing and kicking at him, but to no avail. As one drew closer the Phantom Stranger merely clutched it and diminished its energy body into himself.

"No!" Ares bellowed as he lunged toward the fray.

Just as he moved forward, a blinding light flashed in his path, making him hold back. He shielded his eyes on instinct, peering through his fingers to see a new figure blocking his way. He recognized the man instantly and actually felt the first pangs of fear in the base of his spine. Against better judgment, the Stranger had allowed the one man to enter hypertime who should never do so.

The Negative Man.

* * *

Aquaman leapt off of the platform that Green Lantern had provided for transport, aiming his falling body directly for Darkseid. The mad titan of Apokolips had batted Barda aside easily. For all her fortitude she would not be able to stand against Darkseid, not alone. 

The former King of Atlantis pulled back his arm as he fell. At just the right moment he let his fist fly, slamming the magical properties of his reformed hand into the top of Darkseid's skull. It did little to harm his stone-like features, but that hadn't been the point. Aquaman, as a noble leader sometimes had to do, put his ego aside and played his part as a distraction beautifully.

As Darkseid swatted at his attacker, he lost focus on the young woman that quickly approached him from behind. Sparkling lights enveloped him as Stargirl unleashed her powers on the conqueror, blinding him. She swung around, dodging his reckless fists, and snagged him around the neck with her cosmic rod.

"Now, Courtney!" Barda yelled as she returned to the fray. "Before he shakes you loose!"

Stargirl directly all of the power at her command through the cosmic rod, angling the blast directly into Darkseid's throat. The titan struggled to holler his disapproval but found his airway clogged by the rampant energies now suffocating him. He lashed back, striking Stargirl wildly and sending her flying back through the air. A green set of pillows quickly appeared to brace her fall, carefully placed by the Green Lantern Hal Jordan.

"You okay?" Hal asked as he swung low toward Stargirl.

"Fine, fine," she replied. "Just hurry and get back in there!"

"Insolent worms!" Darkseid roared as particles of gold and red spat back out of his mouth. "You would dare—"

An invisible fist struck Darkseid with a wallop, shutting his mouth and stunning him. Another and then another and another rained down on his face, turning his head left and right. The eerie onslaught continued for several moments before Darkseid lunged forward, gripping the invisible enemy that had succeeded in taking him by surprise. The Omega Effect boiled up from his gut and sprang forth from his pupils, striking the unseen foe now in his deathgrip.

J'onn screamed in pain, slowly shimmering back into view as he lost the concentration necessary to keep himself out of the visible spectrum. The Manhunter from Mars dangled limply in Darkseid's clutched fingers, which dug into his malleable green skin with intent.

"The Martian," Darkseid mused. "On my world I destroyed your body one atom at a time. That treacherous snake Desaad would have been proud had I not first vivisected him."

Superman crashed into Darkseid's lower back, thrusting his shoulder out. He managed to knock J'onn out of Darkseid's grip, but quickly found himself on the receiving end of the Omega Beams. The titan would not fall, no matter how many times they flanked him. They were getting tired, and the longer the struggle continued, the more likely it was that Darkseid would win the fight.

Darkseid tilted back to catch a glimpse of the opened doorway into an other-dimensional realm that Ares had so lustfully sought. "Do you see it?" he said. "The means to your end is at hand. The more you struggle, the more the God of War can be empowered. I have killed you all before, and now I shall do so again!"

* * *

"You don't know what you're doing!" Ares screamed. "You'll kill us all!" 

The Negative Man walked across the unstable void that comprised the realm some had come to know as hypertime. His bandaged face hid most of his features, but his eyes were clear, both figuratively and literally. He had been told what he must do, and there was nothing that would stop him from accomplishing his goal and stopping the mad warmonger.

"The Stranger took me on a little adventure," the Negative Man said. "He explained to me where my powers actually come from, and what these creatures are you've taken control of."

The hundreds of black humanoid energy beings thrashed wildly around the Stranger in the background as he dissipated them one at a time. Ares dodged to one side to try and sidestep the mummified character before him, but hesitated to push beyond.

"They're the soul-selves of hundreds of Negative Men from across the multiverse, aren't they?" the hero asked rhetorically. "You're going to use them as keys to unlock the doors to their home worlds. You've entered hypertime, a bridge to other realities, but you knew that after that you would need a way to actually gain entrance to those universes. That's what they're for, right? The Stranger showed me…showed me how in those other worlds the dark energy eventually overtook their human hosts, leaving nothing but those things. Apparently I'm unique."

Swirling photons of stolen power condensed into Ares' open palms. He desperately wanted to launch an assault against the man standing between him and the Stranger, but for some reason he held back. He was still shocked that the Stranger would dare to bring this Negative Man here.

"I wouldn't be much compared to you," the Negative Man continued, "not until you accessed hypertime anyway. I know that what I'm about to do could tear a whole in the fabric of all realities, but it's the only way to stop you. I may be dooming the entire multiverse, but what's being a hero without a little impending danger…"

Ares launched himself straight up, commanding all of his power to come to his aid. The magicks and temporal strings he had latched onto from Neron and Metron, among the others he had consumed, steadily drew to his chest in a ball of white fire. The tunneling landscape composed entirely of light rumbled from the exertion of his abilities as he attempted to take one last ounce of power from the battle underway on the opposite side of the gateway.

Ares closed his eyes, saying, "You're pathetic! The Stranger has filled you with lies in an attempt to scare me. Once I drink from the ensuing final battle that Darkseid has…wait…what's happening?"

The God of War angled himself to see back through the portal, watching with horror as Darkseid had not only ceased pummeling his opposition, but had been somehow captured within a green bubble. He had felt the limits of the Lanterns and knew that there was no way Darkseid could be held back by such a flimsy restraint. The last bit of power he had been counting on was absent. Darkseid had been captured.

"What is happening?!" Ares demanded.

* * *

"Steady…" Jay Garrick said evenly. "Hang in there guys…" 

The remaining heroes had lined up in between Darkseid and the portal, aligning themselves to block his path. J'onn hovered over them, his arms spread wide as he let his mind open to his surroundings. Darkseid bashed against the thin layer of green plasma containing him, but to no avail.

"This is crazy," Cyborg said, freshly rebooted. "How can—"

"Concentrate!" Barda scolded. Her Mega Rod hung at her side, sheathed and held back from the battle even though she fought to resist its pull. "Focus your will as the Martian has instructed."

Superman, Stargirl, Aquaman, the Golden Age Flash, Cyborg, and Barda focused their thoughts collectively. With the aid of the Martian Manhunter their minds had been connected. Their heroic resolve and will, using J'onn as a conduit, fed into the Green Lantern. As strong as his willpower was, alone he could not contain the beastly Darkseid…but with the added mental strength of his companions there was not a force in existence that could breach his constructs.

The toxin that had been forced into their systems would have pushed them to their limits, adding aggression to their desire to fight, but it was no longer part of the equation. Jay Garrick, a renowned chemist on his world, had been able to synthesize a solution to counteract the Venom at great speed. Along with Cyborg's knowledge of human medicine, they had saved their own personalities and pushed through the trial.

Ares could try all he wanted; there would be no struggle to draw power from.

"Cowards!" Darkseid screamed as he lashed out against the green shield holding him back.

They had finally succeeded in the unthinkable…now the fate of the multiverse rested in the hands of two figures that had the power to destroy them all.

* * *

"No!" Ares cried out. 

"I'll give you one last chance to surrender," the Negative Man said. "Don't make me do this. Just give up."

"Never! Your petulance is—"

Ares' voice changed from a baritone rumble to a softened murmur as swathing ripples of magnificence encircled the Negative Man. The black creatures behind him, the soul-selves of hundreds of his counter-parts, squealed in shock even as the Phantom Stranger ceased his onslaught. The bandages and trenchcoat that the mummified male had bore for years burned away from the unlocked potential he allowed to manifest. He screamed in unchecked emotion as his naked body was cast back, leaving a dark and shadowy figure behind, posed in the same manner he had been. The Stranger caught his falling human body, but all attention was drawn to the soul-self that had been left behind.

What had been thought to be mere negative energy pent up inside the man had been released. Thick pillars suddenly burst out from the cosmic surroundings, fixating their positions on the soul-self of the Negative Man. It had never been able to form facial features before as its body lacked the physical form to do so, but as it took in the infinite energies of hypertime, it inflated from the two-dimensional creature it had always been into a three-dimensional construct. Eyes formed below its brow, pulsating with white hot enrichment.

"Desolate one!" the thing said, aiming its words at Ares. "You have disturbed a superbia that was never meant to be touched by the likes of you! Did you think this realm beyond the normal scope of time, this _hypertime_, would be unprotected? You stole away the guardians from their own worlds, left in place to juxtapose the doorways into this place, without regard to the consequences!"

"Just as you now do?" Ares countered. His armor, having been changed by his stolen omnipotence, now seemed dull and without luster. His features were no longer rigid and strong. His voice steadily rose in order to compensate for his diminished appearance. "You're attempting to control this place just as I did, attempting to use the gateways to other worlds to—"

"You know nothing. The truth behind my actions will be something forever kept from you. I banish you, defiler! I would return the characters assembled here to their own special places amongst the multiverse, no longer subject to your ill will. Be gone!"

The Negative Man's soul-self thrust out its arms as the white and yellow energies of the realm they had invaded mixed with the dark contours of its pseudo-flesh. Just as Ares had sought to tamper with the frail confines of the continuum, so too did the entity mangle its own powers with that of hypertime. However, whereas Ares was a true invader and unwelcome in such a place, the soul-self was in fact a part of that very arena.

Ares cried out a final challenge and call to arms as he lunged forward, the desperation showing on his face. His gnarled teeth and clenched fingers bristled with the anticipation of rendering this supposed usurper limb from false limb.

The entity charged forward to meet Ares' challenge, thrusting its arm deep into the chest of the mad god up to the elbow. Black energy crackled across Ares' body as he felt his power dissipate, yanked back from his loins just as a riptide pulls at a lone straggler.

The arena they clashed in shook violently. The Phantom Stranger dove back through the portal and into a physical reality with the Negative Man's body in his arms, turning back to watch as the soul-self plunged its other arm into Ares' forehead. Lightning danced across the gateway as it began to seal itself, but just before the opening closed entirely the Stranger saw Ares' flesh melt away to bone, which in turn blew away into dust.

The magnificent God of War was no more, defeated and broken.

The Stranger lowered himself to the ground, placing the body of the Negative Man at his feet. His cloak swept back into its usual place, masking his form behind a shroud of eternal mystery.

"Stranger," he heard Superman say as he approached.

The Phantom Stranger turned to see that the remaining heroes had gathered together, leaving Darkseid behind housed within an opaque shell of green willpower. There were few with such resolve that could successfully contain the rage of a member of the Fourth World. These heroes from scattered universes had proved their mettle by standing true in the face of such rampant evil. For that, the Stranger was proud, regardless of the sacrifice that had been made by not one, but two of their number.

* * *

"So what happens now?" Stargirl asked almost timidly. She was afraid of the answer. 

"The realm that connects all others has been sealed once more, thanks in no small part to the life of this man," the Stranger said, gesturing to the Negative Man's cold body that lay motionless on the table.

Back in the rundown headquarters of Happy Harbor, the heroes had regrouped. Their ranks were slightly smaller than when the episode had first opened, spilling them all into a strange world not their own with no recollection of how they got there. The wrecked appearance of their base, while functional, still mimicked their personal feelings toward their situation. Not only were they trapped in a desolate universe that was not truly their home, but they were quickly losing hope.

Beside the table sat a lone statue; the envy of any skilled sculpture. Its perfect texture and flawless beauty could not be attributed to any mortal, however, as it was in fact the reverted form of a legendary heroine. Wonder Woman, Princess Diana of Themyscira, had lost her heartbeat due to an ancient rival of her people. Even her remains had almost been shattered if it had not been for one of her partners. The Batman, still worn from the day's trial, and having freshly dispatched Circe, had come to her aid before it was too late. Stunned, he had watched her fall and had managed to rescue her, only to find her once warm skin now cold to the touch.

"Can't you do something for them?" Hal Jordan asked eagerly. He was not accustomed to having a victory feel so hollow.

"Each of you were brought here not only against your will, but without your knowledge and consent," the Stranger began. "The only task that now remains is to return you to your worlds. Hypertime has been closed off, but there are other avenues that circumvent that most dangerous of dimensions. You now understand why this knowledge had to be kept from you…"

"Well I sure as hell don't," Cyborg spoke up. His one cybernetic eye flashed in irritation. "Our memories were wiped, we were transported across the damned universe, fought a war that no one knows about, and now you're telling me it's just 'goodbye, thanks for coming, time to go home!' I don't buy it."

"Your memories were wiped by Ares to ensure your cooperation."

"Bull," Aquaman muttered. "All of it. We never worked for him."

"Not directly, no," the Stranger answered. "But each of you were chosen for your willingness to fight. Do you even truly know who you are?

"Hal Jordan! In some realities you are the bane of your beloved corpsmen! The one you harken from was destroyed long ago by your brashness. I return you, with lessons learned of your time spent here."

With a flash of emerald color, the Green Lantern Hal Jordan was gone. The others looked stunned at the space where their comrade had once occupied, now worried of what the Stranger might attempt next.

"Barda…your warrior's blood runs deeper than any other of your ilk. In your world not only are you desperate for battle, but you have overtaken the operation of the dreaded fire pits of Apokolips. I bid you return to that life, wiser for the transgressions you have seen here!

"And Cyborg. You formed the Titans of your world only to lead them to damnation in order to regain your flesh. How does it feel to know you are responsible for the deaths of men and women who had not yet known adult life?"

Again, another flash flickered over them as both Big Barda and Cyborg were removed from their universe. The Phantom Stranger, his head tilted back, actually displayed an emotion that some would recognize as anger.

"You, Manhunter from Mars. What men would you hunt now in this wasteland created by Darkseid? The answers have already come to fruition in your world, thanks in no small part to your obliteration of your own race.

"King Orin! You brave the deep, but you were never able to brave the harshness of your peers in your world. You attempted to prove yourself by giving in to their demands, finally succeeding in overtaking the surface world you learned to hate so much.

"Stargirl, whose innocence is almost laughable where you hail from. You felt kinship with those in the Justice Society, only to later slaughter them once the inherited power from the Knight family was asked to be returned.

"And Jay Garrick, whose sins almost outweigh us all. Your powers rendered you closer to understanding the truth than most. You regained a semblance of your former life before Ares removed it from your mind, only you did not recall having murdered your assistant on that fateful expedition, did you? No, it was a man called Thawne that should have possessed your power, but jealously led you to kill.

"Be gone, all of you! Your presence sickens me as you will soon understand once I return you to your worlds!"

With a sweep of his arm, the Phantom Stranger sent them reeling through the depths of space and time, no longer part of this place of existence. They returned to their home worlds, their memories finally restored and their shame finally instilled. It was a grand gesture, one that the Stranger had almost been unable to perform had the Voice not stayed his hand from moving further.

The confusion was rampant on the two figures left standing before the Phantom Stranger. Batman and Superman stood on either side of the statue, waiting for the word of their demise. Several silent moments passed before the Stranger finally gestured with his hand, parting the folds of his cloak.

"The three of you have led such different lives," he said. "But there is always a kinship between you regardless of what world you are born in."

"If we aren't who we think we are," Batman said as he removed his cowl. "Then what of Robin? Can you revive him?"

The Stranger twitched at the mention of the young hero. "No. It is not my place to do such a thing. Given all my power, the Voice forbids it. He was not of your world, though. You turned your precious city into an unholy prison, constantly watching over the citizens in a twisted sense of controlling justice. Your Robin is still alive, however this one, a boy who eagerly followed in your footsteps but was anything but innocent, is dead. I am sorry."

Feeling there was no longer a need for growing sympathy, with another sweep of his arm the Stranger removed the Batman from their sight.

"Clark Kent," the Stranger said. "I am sorry to say that while your soul remains pure in nearly every incarnation, there is but one where you are the very incarnation of evil."

Superman took a step back, fearful of the knowledge that the Stranger was about to impart. He revered himself as a normal man trying his best to make things right, yet he felt that the Stranger spoke the truth. It was a shock to him, but one he knew was apt.

"First, tell me about Diana," Superman said quickly. "Tell me at least _she_ was on the right side in all of this."

"The only one. After I return you to your world, you will be disgusted with sharing the same space with her…but for now you can appreciate that she was the sole hero on your side of the war. This Wonder Woman hailed from the Earth you would call Prime, or One. Ares also hailed from that Earth, and through his sheer hatred of her demanded that she be brought with him for spite. He plucked her even as she was about to die at the hands of one of her friends. Caught behind the shell of a scarab during their most recent crisis, Diana of Themyscira was saved by Ares only to die here."

The Stranger waved yet again and the statue was returned to its proper place within the multiverse. Soon the denizens of her world, a planet that had been designated Earth One, would find her and mourn her death. Superman stared on, awaiting his fate to be spoken by the enigmatic Stranger.

"I have long been separated from interfering," the Stranger explained. "But no longer. The Voice has granted me the power to act, and act I shall. I have one last journey to make for this crisis to be over, but first I will return you from whence you came.

"Your name was given to you by one you love, at least so you believe. Superman is a name revered throughout the cosmos as one of the most pure of heart and noble of intention. From your world, however, it is not the name you go by. You are known…and feared…as Ultraman. Your acts of vengeance have been well documented by the powers that be, and it is now regrettably that I return you to them. Would it my decision I would keep you from being the villain you are, leaving you to be the hero that you could be."

The Phantom Stranger turned away this time, not allowing himself to see the hero vanish. It saddened him to know that while he was now freer to act in the face of evil, he was not permitted to make so drastic a change regardless of the thousands of lives it would save.

He bent and picked up the lifeless body of the Negative Man, who without his soul-self was devoid of all that made him a hero. Even though he was doomed from the start, being a unique individual amongst the multiverse, there was still a twinkle of hope that the Stranger hoped to encourage into a roaring flame.

Stepping between the folds of space and time, the Phantom Stranger removed both of them from the wasteland that particular Earth had become. The Voice had instructed him, to perform one last assignment before being allowed to act as an individual.

Even though the struggle had only lasted a short time, it had been a war not only of physical embodiment, but also of ideologies that had tested the resilience of a hero's merit. Ares had cleverly surrounded himself with those as vicious as himself, on both sides of the war, yet he had still been rendered obsolete.

The war was over, and justice had inevitably prevailed.

* * *

END?

Don't miss the Secret Files special coming next, delving into the background of the Negative Man, the Phantom Stranger, and Ares!


	9. Secret Files

SECRET FILES

_He who submits to fate without complaint is wise._

_-Euripides_

* * *

Time is an ever-flowing stream of torrential opportunity that few men can truly comprehend. In that respect, those that do see the strange properties of that stream, that _timestream_, are one step closer to understanding the nature of the very universe.

The Phantom Stranger, famous for being a shade in people's memories, clung tightly to the corpse he held in his arms. He rarely stepped between the folds of time and space for his missions, but The Voice had deemed it necessary before being allowed to take a greater role in the fight against evil. As the fluid nature of the timestream washed over him, he remembered all the times that his obligations to The Voice had kept him from being more active in the pursuit of justice, and a feeling that some might call happiness filled him now that things were about to change.

The flaps of his dark blue cape swung out behind him as he traveled, leaping over centuries as if he were stepping between rooms. His matching fedora was tightly pressed to his scalp so as not to be lost in a random century. Similarly, he carefully balanced the deceased body of the Negative Man in his arms so as not to lose him forever somewhere in time.

Every now and again bits of the timestream would part near him, giving him a chance to see through to a future that may or may not come to pass, given the right circumstances. He saw great civilizations being built, only to be toppled seconds later, at least from his perspective.

Time was indeed ever changing, and if his last mission would be of any value, he would prove that very fact.

His pace slowed and he felt the mass of his body begin to pull on him once more, weighing him down as gravity took effect. He took that to mean that his journey was nearly complete, and prepared himself for what awaited him.

Brilliant light cascaded his entire field of vision, causing even him to close his eyes. When he opened them again he saw that he stood inside a magnificent complex that was filled with many different types of monitors, all of which focused on various incarnations of the same being: the Negative Man.

The Phantom Stranger had expected this sight, just as the inhabitants of the complex had expected him. They surrounded him, standing almost casually given that he had just materialized inside their headquarters without warning.

"Welcome," the central figure of their group said. "My name is Waverider, and we've been expecting you."

* * *

DCI Proudly Presents

JUSTICE WAR

Secret Files Written by D. Golightly

* * *

"I determined as much," the Stranger replied. He walked by all of the onlookers to a clear table on the other side of the room, placing the corpse of the Negative Man down gently. "I have come as a friend in need of your help."

"I'm sorry," a brown-haired man in red armor and a green bodysuit said, "but am I the only one who isn't happy with where this seems to be going?"

The first among them who had spoken, Waverider, raised a hand to calm his comrade. "We all saw this coming, Rip," he said. "Regardless of your efforts to hide the existence of hypertime from us."

Waverider walked over to the waiting Stranger, his fiery hair composed of pure energy waving behind him as he moved. His body shone almost as spectacularly as his hair, reflecting most of the ambient light in the chamber. He raised his hand to shake, saying, "Welcome to the Vanishing Point. The Linear Men are at your disposal."

"Good," the Stranger replied, although he did not shake hands. "I'll first need—"

"Hold on!" Rip Hunter exclaimed. "After what I saw in the timestream, after what _all_ of us saw, you expect us to just follow blindly? No way. Forget it."

Waverider almost seemed to roll his eyes, although the Stranger had difficulty seeing if he actually had since there were no pupils. "Forgive him," Waverider said to the Stranger. "He recently returned from a mission in 12th century Australia. We think his personality may have been altered somehow during the trip. It's a common flaw in frequent time traveling. We're working on it."

The Phantom Stranger nodded his understanding in the matter. "As I was saying, I'll first need to access your equipment in order to compensate for the existence of hypertime. You are now aware of its presence?"

A woman with long hair wearing a purple jumpsuit stepped forward to enter the conversation. "We are," she said with a look to Rip Hunter. "I'm Liri, researcher for the Linear Men. I discovered the variables, despite Rip's tampering."

"I only did it because—"

"It's okay, Rip," Waverider said, cutting him off before an argument could be formed. "You aren't exactly yourself right now anyway. The point is that we witnessed the entire event, which I believe Liri has dubbed the Justice War. Interesting choice of titles."

"I thought it prudent given what Ares was fighting against," Liri replied.

"We also foresaw your arrival," Waverider continued, again addressing the Phantom Stranger and then pointing to the corpse on the table. "This is the one?"

"It is. Hypertime has been off sealed thanks to his efforts and I've been instructed to return his body and his soul-self back to together."

"Are you sure that's wise? At this point his soul-self would have been locked alone in the corridors of hypertime for centuries. Millennia. There's no telling what it will be like when extracted, or what could happen to this dimension if a portal is opened again."

"The Voice assures me that it must be done."

Waverider nodded and waved a hand toward the control console for the monitors, ushering the Stranger to do what he needed. The Phantom Stranger parted his cloak and began adjusting the settings on the console, switching the various views of the multiple incarnations of the Negative Man. The images changed, blurring from what they were into shades of dark shadows.

"We've been keeping tabs on possible future versions of the Negative Man," Liri said as she stepped closer to the Stranger. "The timestream isn't what it once was. Anything is possible now, although there does seem to be a main line that randomly creates offshoots of temporal flux."

"That is mostly due to the mistreatment of hypertime at the hands of Ares," the Phantom Stranger said. "That kingdom was never meant for someone like him."

"But it _was_ meant for someone like you?" Rip said accusingly.

"Rip!" Liri scolded.

"No, Liri, don't get defensive on behalf of those you don't know!" Rip hollered as his arms became more animated. "You're both absolutely insane if you think this Phantom person has been charged by God to solve all our problems! It's ridiculous!"

"Enough!" Waverider said. "The Linear Men have suffered enough loses, Rip. We're only down to three members, and with the death of Mathew—"

"You are not the Linear Men," the Stranger said almost robotically.

The argument immediately ceased and all three of them turned to look at the Phantom Stranger with a look of bewilderment on their faces. "Excuse me?" Waverider said.

"You are alternate versions, created the very moment that I began my journey through the timestream." The Stranger continued to work at the console, never taking his eyes off of the monitors. "Hypertime, though sealed off, is still affecting the timestream. I have been charged with correcting this problem lest it affect all of the greater multiverse."

"But…if what you say is true," Liri began to say, "…then how is it we came to exist? And what will happen to us if you succeed?"

"As you said, there exists a prime timeline that spawns an infinite number of offshoot possibilities from the timestream. Hypertime is the access point for these offshoots. The multiverse spans the varying realms that these offshoots exist in. The Negative Man's sacrifice, when he divided from his soul-self, effectively sealed off hypertime but the damage had already been done. The timestream is being erased starting at this Vanishing Point, unless I recover the lost soul-self and restore it to a human host. This fracture of time we stand in now was created for the express purpose of my mission, so that I would not endanger the prime timeline any more than it already has been."

Liri, Waverider, and Rip all looked between themselves in wonderment. "Then that means when you accomplish your goal," Rip finally said, "we'll be erased."

"It is possible, yes."

The silence again blared throughout the room, broken only by the soft tapping of the Stranger's hands against the console. The images on the monitors continued to swirl through dark shadows, and none of them could determine what it was he was actually attempting to do. The machines were set up to scout through the timestream and locate events that would endanger reality, but the Stranger didn't seem to be using it for that purpose.

"What are you doing?" Liri asked. "How can we help?"

"In order to extract the soul-self, I will need to access hypertime through your machines. As the Negative Man is the key to open the gateway, I must find a way to use him to open a portal without him knowing it. If he were to learn of my meddling, it could overpower my efforts and make the transaction of energies moot."

Rip Hunter walked up to the console and raised his arm to brush the Stranger aside. "I can do it," he said, then adding, "Please."

The Phantom Stranger bowed ever so subtly, then stepped back to give Rip enough room to work the controls of the long console. Rip operated the machinery like a professional, adjusting various things almost faster than they could follow. His intellect was nearly legendary as the first human to have built a working time travel device, and his prowess and expertise at working the equipment was second to none.

Within moments, he spoke again with good news. "There," he said, pointing to a screen where the blotches of blackness weren't quite as dull as the others. "There's an anomaly concerning the Negative Man's linear history. Theoretically, it's possible to travel to that exact point, that very _nanosecond_, and you can accomplish your task. He wouldn't necessarily be aware that his powers were being used, thus leaving your plan safe."

"Very well," the Phantom Stranger said. "Then I shall enter the timestream once more to ensure success."

* * *

The roar of jet plane engines cut through the sky like thunder, guided by the skilled hands of an accomplished veteran. This man was fearless, as so many in his profession were. He controlled the aircraft with skill unseen by many, and was envied for it by even more. His name was Larry Trainer, and his ultimate fate was about to be decided.

"Eagle One to base; over," the pilot said. He carefully looked over the instruments and made sure that everything was nominal. As a test pilot, he couldn't afford approximations. His life depended on it.

"This is base, Eagle One," the radio squawked back at him. "Go ahead; over."

"It looks like the new engines work just fine," Larry said loud enough for the microphone to pick up his voice. "The wing flaps are a little unresponsive, but I guess I can just chalk that up to Robertson's shoddy work; over."

The radio crackled back at him with what seemed to be laughter. Larry smiled, enjoying the excitement of his profession and relishing the freedom it gave him. He couldn't think of any other job in the world that let him experiment with the fastest vehicles known to man and actually get paid for it.

He didn't notice the atmospheric change around him until it was too late. Pulled in by what he would one day describe as a strange radioactive phenomenon, Larry Trainer was bombarded with the weird essence that would instill in him great power and make his life more exciting than he hoped to dare.

As the aircraft approached the pocket of radioactivity, however, it slowed dramatically. The entire vicinity seemed to pause as the craft slowed, and oddly enough the inertia that would have resulted from such a sudden stop did not affect Larry. Instead, he also slowed in his movements, seemingly unaware of the way space and time was reacting.

Then, floating in midair as if he belonged there, the Phantom Stranger faded into existence. Behind him hovered the bearded Rip Hunter, awaiting for the Stranger to do what he came to do. Rip had demanded to come along on the trip, always watchful of the timestream, and curious as to the nature of the Stranger's visit to this particular point in time.

"When are we?" Rip asked.

"At the beginning," the Stranger replied enigmatically. "This is the moment that the soul-self is created within Larry Trainer and he will forever become the Negative Man."

"When I located the anomaly you were looking for, I didn't think it meant that you would try to change history! We're leaving. Now."

The Stranger waved a hand casually as he floated closer to the aircraft. "You make assumptions. I am not here to stop the creation of the Negative Man, I am here to ensure its success."

Rip opened his mouth to reply but found no words to speak. Instead he watched with interest as the Stranger simply pushed his arm through the hull of the suspended craft, phasing through the metal and circuitry with ease. A small tinge of black energy had formed just a few inches from Larry's chest, which the Stranger cupped so delicately in his outstretched arm. Amazingly, the Stranger placed the small bit of energy inside Larry's chest, phasing through his body as easily as he did the craft.

"But I thought that madman, the Chief, orchestrated the Negative Man's creation," Rip commented.

"So he did," the Stranger replied as he concentrated on the task at hand. His arm was buried harmlessly inside Larry's chest as he spoke. "Niles Caulder toyed with fate and manipulated many of his Doom Patrol members. But I am only ensuring that the soul-self spawns within Larry Trainer so that I might extract a portion of it."

"So you're merging them...so you can steal away a piece?"

The Stranger did not answer. Instead he carefully removed his arm from Larry's chest and the cockpit of the aircraft, floating slowly back to where Rip awaited with great curiosity. "It is time to return," he said as they both pondered the tiny orb of black energy resting inside the Stranger's open palm.

With a nod, Rip pressed a switch on his red armband, and the pair faded away back into the timestream. The suspended aircraft once more gained its momentum the instant they left, plunging Larry Trainer back into his destiny.

* * *

The fluid machinations of the timestream swept over them again, causing them to leap countless years in a matter of seconds. Once more the Stranger found himself placed inside the room with the multiple monitors, all of them sifting through various points in history. He and the bearded Rip Hunter stepped into the room as simply as if they had walked in under their own power.

Several people stood in the room between them and where the Negative Man lay dormant, but not all of them looked familiar since they had left.

"Welcome," the central figure of their group said. "My name is Waverider, and we've been expecting you."

"We're returning from our jaunt," Rip said casually as he turned to the Stranger. "Differential timestream…we're not always aware of what each other has done in the past. It's a byproduct of frequent time traveling. They'll catch up in a second."

"I don't recall an authorized back-step," one of the new faces said.

"And how many times have we had this conversation, Rayak?" Rip inquired as he pointed a finger at his fellow Linear Man. "Waverider…do you mind?"

The fiery figure had formed an energy bubble around both Rip and the Stranger and was staring at them with a look of bewilderment. "Friend, I've never seen you before in my life. Either of you. First this man in bandages behind me appears from nowhere, and then the two of you show up. We need explanations."

"Explanations? You've all been time traveling as long as me! How do you not understand that we're experiencing a differential—"

"What are your names?" a blonde and muscular man in simple blue jeans and a white t-shirt said from the back of the group. "Tell us who you are and we'll go from there."

"Rip Hunter. I'm a member of the Linear Men, just like the rest of you."

The group exchanged looks, with all of them ending on the blonde man to the rear. "Impossible," Waverider said. "_That's_ Rip Hunter. The _real_ one."

"There can't be two of us," the blonde and beardless Rip Hunter said. "Liri? Are we caught in a paradox again?"

"It's possible," the woman responded. "But that wouldn't account for the appearance of the unconscious man on the table, since he arrived before they did."

"What you are experiencing," the Phantom Stranger said as he walked between all of them toward the inert Negative Man, "are the effects of hypertime on the Vanishing Point. This is not a differential component of the main timestream; it is an offshoot created by the erasure I mentioned earlier, although I realize that explanation was not given to your version of the Linear Men."

"Then why aren't you affected?" Liri inquired.

"Because throughout all the multiverse, there are just a handful of constants. I am one of them."

He stooped over the Negative Man and held his fist out over his chest, letting his fingers unravel slowly. The tiny spark of dark energy stayed in place for a moment, and then whirled down into the Negative Man as if it had been waiting to return home after a long journey. For a moment nothing happened and the Linear Men watched in curiosity, especially the bearded and estranged Rip Hunter.

A shimmering portal suddenly flicked open, its iris growing in size until it was large enough for a person to step through. On the other side of the portal they could see the white and yellow energies that made up the realm of hypertime, the astonishing kingdom that Ares had sought to usurp control of.

"My God," both Hunters said in unison.

There was a dark sputtering of movement beyond the portal and a lone shadow creature stood just beyond the opening. It paused, peering through the gateway at the Stranger and the Linear Men just as they watched it. It moved in jerked motions, like a newborn animal that was exploring an unknown region.

The Phantom Stranger stood still, waiting for what would come next. He knew, just as The Voice had instructed him, that he must remain out of the coming struggle. He was not yet granted permission to act of his own accord.

"What is that thing?" Rayak the Ravager asked.

Before an answer could be given, the black creature leapt out of the portal and shot around the room in a dark streak of energy. Its arms were outstretched as it circled, but its legs had blurred into a long tail formed of the black nebulous that comprised its body. It reached out with its arms as it swirled around the onlookers, scraping against the containing walls and eliciting sparks from he equipment that it touched.

"It's destroying everything!" Rayak roared as he sprung into defensive action.

"No!" Waverider exclaimed. "Stop, Rayak! I'll contain it, peacefully."

Waverider extended a golden hand toward the flying black creature, not at where it flew, but where it _would_ fly. As a being of pure quantum energy, Waverider could 'see' where the soul-self would fly next, even though it flew in no specific pattern. He tracked the movements it had not yet even made, concentrated, and launched a volley of quantum energy into the air.

Another bubble had formed, this time directly in front of where the soul-self flew. It captured the energy creature before it could react, encasing it in a thin force field. The creature banged against the walls and made a strange noise that they took for screaming. The high-pitched squeal nearly deafened them, but once its head pointed toward the inert form of the Negative Man, it settled down and stopped thrashing about.

"Now what?" the twin Hunters asked in unison, each then giving the other an irritated look.

"Bring it to the body, and this creature shall mend itself," the Stranger answered.

Guiding the bubble across the control room, Waverider stepped over to beside the Stranger to watch as he carefully opened a small hole in the quantum prison. The soul-self paused at first, as if apprehensive of its surroundings, but after a few moments finally gave in to the desire of being completely whole once more.

The floated overtop of the waiting body of the Negative Man, sliding into it like a waiting vessel. Instantly, the Negative Man began to jerk, his soul-self now restored to his person. He sat up with a gasp, looking around the room with sharp, quick movements.

"What's happening?" he demanded. "Where am I? What's going on?"

"Everything is as it should be," the Stranger said. "Relax, Larry Trainer. Your path has already been laid out for you. Your fate is now here."

The Negative Man slid over the edge of the table, planting his feet firmly on the ground and looking cautiously between the Stranger and the Linear Men. "I…I remember a war."

"Yes, the battle with Ares has been won. Thanks in most part, to you."

"But…if I'm here, then that means—"

"That hypertime is once more accessible, yes. But only here, at this Vanishing Point. Rest assured that the gateways to hypertime will never again be opened until the exact moment that the universe ceases to exist. I have brought you out of that kingdom so that you may monitor hypertime just as these Linear Men monitor the timestream."

"This was all a recruiting measure?" Liri inquired.

"In a way, yes," the Stranger answered. "For as experienced as the Linear Men are, they have no recollection of hypertime. The Negative Man has been entrusted as its guardian, and he cannot efficiently fulfill his role from the other side of the hypertime barrier. However, to remove his soul-self before the Vanishing Point would mean that access could be gained once more by an usurper in the past."

"So I'm to stay here now?" the Negative Man said. It was more an assumption than a question, as his merging with his much more ancient soul-self had already given him the answer that he sought.

"Yes." The Phantom Stranger allowed the folds of his cloak to cover him once more, and he began to fade away. "There is one last task I must accomplish before my own purpose is met. Good luck, Larry Trainer. Trust in the actions of the Linear Men and remain on constant vigil. I may call upon you all again, if The Voice deems it so."

And just like that, the Phantom Stranger removed himself from their presence, once again no more than a whisper in their conversation. The gathered Linear Men traded glances with the freshly renewed Negative Man, who attempted to feebly smile through his bandages.

* * *

Resting above the stratosphere of the makeshift Earth he knew was not his own, Superman hovered with his arms crossed over his barreled chest. The cold touch of space did not bother him, and he had been holding his breath so as not to succumb to the vacuum.

The Man of Steel pondered the world below him, and even though he did not realize it yet, it was a desolate world that he would have loved to conquer.

The Phantom Stranger watched this altered Superman, who was in fact, known by another name that brought feelings of terror, loathing, and hate: Ultraman. His mind has been manipulated into helping instigate a war that he could not hope to win. The Stranger did nothing to halt the brewing battle before it could begin, even though it was at this precise moment that he could change the fates of all involved.

The Stranger turned his mind toward the planet below, and he was instantly whisked away to surface, in a city known as Gotham. He watched as another champion hopped the rooftops with skilled practice, he too unaware as of yet that his fate was already decided, and that he was not who he thought he was.

The Batman glided through the night like a warrior born, a creature of the very same world he fought against. Unknown to him, he truly was worse than most of the criminals he had been manipulated into believing he hunted. In his home world, this Bruce Wayne had turned his Gotham into an unholy city, empowered by the dark magicks he had stolen from his mentor, R'as al Ghul. Again, the Stranger had the chance to change the fate of the war, sparing Death several prizes and cheating fate once more. And again, he turned away.

Finally he appeared behind a powerful warrior, a female, who carefully regarded her surroundings. Very soon she would fight against a villain named the General and then be joined with her two allies, the false Superman and Batman. Together the three of them would lead their side against that of Ares in a bid for control of the Worlogog. But with every breath she took, she was that much closer to being imprisoned back in a shell of clay, returned to that whence she came from.

The Phantom Stranger watched her, thinking how easy it would be to warn her. Perhaps she would be able to do something different this time and help save the lives lost. Perhaps she would be able to do what she needed to save herself. But the probing Voice inside him beckoned him to move forward one more time.

And once more he vanished, reappearing at a point where the statue of Princess Diana awaited him. Ares had been defeated, but the statue remained. He touched its cool surface and plucked it from its spot in reality, moving it along with himself to an island back on a different world, far removed from where they had been.

"Themyscira," the Stranger said as he set the statue down atop a pillar. "Here you will wait, Diana, until your friends can free you."

The Wonder Woman involved in the Justice War had been one of the few true heroes involved. She had been brought by Ares from the Prime World, the One Earth, and she alone had been a beacon of righteousness where there had been only darkness. Now she was returned to her world, on the island of her birth, to await the next chapter of her life. Even though she was trapped within clay, she would live again and continue to do many wondrous things.

With that final act of delivery, the Stranger felt a weight being lifted from his shoulders. The silent Voice had deemed his mission complete, and for perhaps the first time since undertaking his incredible series of missions for the powers that be, the Stranger smiled. It was the greatest gift he could have asked for. His amazing power, legendary as it was, was still at his disposal, but he was now free to act of his own accord. No longer would he be forced to stand by and forever remain a stranger…

The Phantom Stranger vanished again, leaving behind the clay statue of Wonder Woman, and moved on to his next mission, one that he had determined for himself instead of accepting an assignment.

* * *

THE END

Thanks to all those who supported this long event!


End file.
